Cat and Mouse
by White Maid
Summary: Astral's usual thoughts are interrupted by a certain, taunting fiend. But this fiend decides to play a game that makes the messenger wonder who really has the upperhand. / Got ideas? Tell me what you wanna see for this pairing! Yaoi!
1. Chapter 1

Astral's two-toned eyes didn't move an inch away from the numerous Numbers that called out to him. True, they spoke no words, but they gave him whispers of his past life; his memories. For this reason, today, he was immobile in the Emperor's Key that sat along Yuma's chest. There was something he was missing, and he had no idea as to where he could begin.

Silently, the being continued to gaze at the wall of glowing digits, arms casually folded in their usual stance as his ankles remained crossed. "There's something I'm missing... Perhaps they can only give me so much information after each number?" Silence filled his ears aside from the whir of the Key itself, the machine gears softly clicking.

"Wouldn't you like to understand, Astral~?" A velvet yet ear-aching voice made the astral creature spin around, eyes widening. Before him, grinning like the snake he was, was a certain number card that shared his own form. True, they looked alike aside from the other's skin color, but their intentions were entirely different. Putting it on a scale was like putting paper on one side and then a rock on the other.

"...Number 96... What do you want?" His eyes narrowed as the darker one merely shrugged. "Oh, no real reason," he trailed, but Astral shuddered as he noticed the gaze of the other never left him. Not for even a single heartbeat. Black Mist knew he wasn't going to get out of this one. Not with the way Astral was looking at him. Such sharp eyes! They could cut right through him, but, ah! he knew the little being was incapable of even putting a knife to his neck! Therefore, he knew he couldn't drop dead just from the intense gaze of the messenger.

With a soft cackle of amusement, the Number disappeared for a moment, causing Astral's heart to skip. "Black Mist!" Astral pinched his lips together, spinning about to make sure the other hadn't decided to pop up behind him like a jack-in-the-box.

"Oh come now, don't get so frightened just because you can't see me, dear Astral. Look at you~, looking around for me like a little kitten, ufufu~." A pair of cold hands settled on the bare shoulders of the transparent being who quickly darted away. Twisting around, Astral could already see that the other was having _way _too much fun with this already, while he wanted to get out of here.

"Tell you what, Astral~, let's have a game!" Astral paused, hearing his words and feeling uneasy about them. A game? As if reading his thoughts, the Number chuckled. "Yes~, a game! A game of cat and mouse." He pointed at the floating being, a massive smirk painting itself across his black lips. "And _you _get to become the little mouse! But to this game, there are rules instead of the meager deal of hide and seek~."

"These rules had better not be your own-"

"Of course they are, Astral!" Said male narrowed those two-toned eyes again in sheer irritation, causing Black Mist to only give a smile and a snicker. "Don't give me such a look~. If you want to get out and see your precious Yuma, you'll obey _my _rules." Oh, there was that look. That beautiful flash of realization that crossed the entity's usually stern and crisp posture. If there was something the male had noticed, it was that the blue being could easily be broken with just the right words.

"The rules are simple," the Number began, holding up a single finger. "Don't run off towards Yuma. There you go. Right there." Was it really that easy? This had Astral rather uneasy but it didn't show. No, he wasn't going to please the other with uneasy motions. Soon enough, he slowly nodded and he vaguely shuddered as the other let out a loud, almost melodic cackle. "Perfect!"

Astral felt his entire body tense up as the other lowered himself down a bit, as if ready to lunge. The pose of the predator had his shoulder tense up and he knew that if he didn't move now, he wouldn't have a happy ending. Without wasting another precious second, he turned on his heel and immediately dove off to the side. He knew the other was giving him a small head start to probably hide or just run. But he was never told of what would happen...if he was caught.

All there was to hide in was the many pockets of the Emperor's Key and he soon dived downward, wedging himself into one the more tighter spaces. Even though he was rather transparent, in here, it didn't matter except his flight ability. And even through this, he could feel the cold kiss of the metal. "Ready or not, here I come!" Astral felt his breath hitch in his throat and he let his eyes close for a moment.

'He can't find me this quickly... And for now, I have to think of what he wants.' Ah, but what _did _the other want from him? Just the thrill that they were going through this again? Or maybe something was at a greater stake. He glanced skyward at towards the entranceway of the Key itself, knowing Yuma was full-well asleep on his hammock and sleeping freely.

Astral looked down, silver and golden orbs watching his feet with a thoughtful gaze. What was he going to do? He tensed suddenly and shifted away from the narrow entrance way, hearing that taunting voice practically rake over his body. "Oh, Astral~. Where are you? Surely you can't be too far from me!" The sing-song, happy tune in his throat made this game all the more unbearable. Black Mist knew he was taunting the other. But he had to move! Astral sucked in a breath and darted out of his hiding hole, spiraling downward.

"There you are!" Astral looked over his shoulder and gritted his teeth, seeing the sadistic smile practically stretching over half of the other's face. This wasn't good! If he had already found him, this meant only one thing. He had to avoid him as much as possible and if he failed...well, he feared at what the answer might be.

A black appendage shot past him and the male flinched away, immediately moving to barely slip past the operating gears to lose the other. "You can't run from me forever, Astral! You can go in as many little mouse holes you want, but no matter where you turn, I'll be waiting!" Those words sunk deep into the astral beings chest, resonating out into every crevice of his being as he dove down again and then fit himself into another tight spot. And boy was it cramped.

Astral had wiggled himself into it so quickly he wondered how he actually managed to find a way in but he was comfortable, surrounded... Even if the other was to find him, it would be hard spotting him through the gears unless he landed directly in front of him.

Stopping his own breathing, the male waited and thought out as to what the other could do and what he _would_ at this point. Yet, he couldn't think straight! Ringing throughout his body was that twisted laugh that had seeped its way into his entire system. Those dark eyes and that crooked, velvet smirk had every part of his chest aching in torment. He knew he had to be away from the other, and for a long time at that. But with him being inside the Emperor's Key with Astral only made things worse and worse.

It felt like an hour before he was able to breathe calmly, a hand slowly settling on the edge as he poked his head out. Pale sand dunes stretched out beneath the air ship, leaving not a single shadow illuminated in the distance. The bright green neon highlights of the ship were practically a safe haven it looked, free of shadows. But yet...something stirred in his gut as he pulled himself out.

"Boo!" Astral spun around with a gasp, eyes widening before he attempted to take off into the air. But it seemed that his attacker had planned that already as a familiar appendage wrapped around his waist and ankle. "Ah-ah-ah~. I don't think you'll be pulling that little trick on me this time, Astral~."

Astral gritted his teeth and immediately pulled, inwardly panicking at the amount that continued to crawl up his legs and then quickly proceed to wrap around his entire form. "Let...Let go!" Each tendril merely squeezed tighter, causing his struggles to become more and more useless. The Number smirked and moved up to where the two were eye-to-eye, a hand making its way to slowly tip Astral's face up.

"Ufufu~, let go? No, there's no way I'm going to let you go, Astral. Not like last time." The being gritted his teeth, feeling pressure continue to screw with his breathing. But it wasn't just from the appendages that currently wrapped around him. It was from the way the other was looking at him, and how he was much too close for Astral to be pleased.

"...You've caught me. What do you intend to do now with me?" Astral could have sworn that his words were heavier than usual, as if asking how the lion was going to eat the defenseless lamb. He flinched away and turned his head away from the other, not liking the sudden movements the other was pulling. The soft nibble on his ear made him shudder and he felt a shock heat up that side of his exposed neck and jawline.

"Do with you? Why, I intend to have you powerless and begging for mercy~." The hand on Astral's chin tightened firmly before moving to make their eyes meet again. And he wasn't letting go of the other, no matter how much he struggled. What really worried Astral the most was the calm gaze he was receiving from the other but his thoughts were moved as he no longer thought about anything.

A pair of soft lips settled on his own, causing his heart twist in his chest as those fluorescent orbs widen. Moving his lips to speak only resulted in a blissful feeling to spread throughtout his mouth, his words muffled. The accidental action spurred on a smirk from the Number who pinned the other to the nearest wall of the Emperor's Key, his lips becoming more forceful on Astral's. Through this, the astral being felt more and more cornered but he gradually began to melt, his eyes closing as the male's hand settled on the back of his neck, pushing them ever closer to where their lips would surely be bruised later.

It no longer mattered if Astral didn't understand these feelings. All he knew was that they were entirely blissful, something he craved more and more to where it felt...wrong. But Black Mist wasn't backing down. No, things were only getting started here as he parted Astral's lips with his tongue. The other squirmed and fidgeted beneath the black tendrils the Number controlled, not used to such a feeling that was consuming him. His gut told him to pull away, to struggle but there was no way-

As if answering his thoughts, the other's lips and tongue left his mouth and he found himself able to breathe, his eyes snapping open. Black and gold orbs met his own, amused and somewhat satisfied, but as sadistic as ever.

"Heh, look at that. It seems that the cornered mouse has given into the cat. Now...do you know what happens to such a poor, fragile mouse?" A thumb cascaded over Astral's top lip to his lower one, causing the male to shudder before he tried to answer. That simple movement made the Number lean closer, momentarily capturing the other's lips again in a heated embrace to muffle all words that tried to come out. "Ufufu~. No, no. Don't answer. Because I will for you."

Astral attempted to lean away from the darker being, turning his head away again to try and avoid his lips that seemed to leave him dazed. He jerked, feeling his hot breath fan out over his neck and along the shell of his ear. "We toy with them for a little while until they grow tired. Chase them until they have no hope left. And _then~..._" A sharp bite was applied to Astral's ear, forcing a gasp past his lips as he flinched away, the next words forming a cold coil in his stomach.

"We. Eat. Them~. Now all you have to tell me, is how you want to be devoured, **Astral**..."

**(This was way too much fun to write. Also gets this outta my system. a3a; )**


	2. Chapter 2

Astral was glad that Yuma was downstairs, occupied with eating breakfast and catching up on recent news from his grandmother and his sister. Sure, the astral being was supposed to be watching the rest of the world with him, but right now, he couldn't even get up off the floor. Not with someone pinning him to the wooden boards.

Dark Mist was more active than usual, and it was always a shock whenever the dark male showed up anywhere near Astral. Yet, he could never smartly criticize the other when his own mouth was stolen, captured in a moment of ecstasy that he would never truly understand. All that he knew was that whenever he closed his eyes, he could barely remember what was previously said only minutes before, those cold fingers grazing his skin as if to torture him.

Their lips parted for a moment, Astral having a breathless sensation crawl up through his chest as the other kissed along his neck, his mouth surprisingly warm compared to the rest of him. And Astral wondered if this was what would be called 'craving something.' He wanted the other to leave his teeth marks in his skin, but he had no idea if he needed to say it.

A bite to the neck silenced his thoughts of inner turmoil, a soft noise escaping his lips that only made the Number smirk against his skin. "Look at you, Astral. Completely caught under my grip and you're not even struggling~." Astral narrowed his eyes, not wanting to accept defeat by his own double.

"Because every time I move you tighten your hold-! Hng!" Astral gritted his teeth as the hand around his wrists only tightened, as if to furthermore prove his point. A warm mouth caught onto his collarbone, causing his breath to hitch in his throat as he flinched. "Y-You!" Astral shut his eyes tightly, feeling his breath pick up again as the other took advantage of his lack of clothing.

The male had begun to leave deep bruises along his skin, the blue tint gaining purple splotches slowly under the warm cavern of Dark Mist. Whatever words he had on his tongue left quickly as the straddling male began littering the other with bruises along his neck and shoulders. Warmth spiraled up the astral being's spine as his back arched upward, spurring the Number even more to completely dominate him.

A soft whine left Astral as he felt his own body temperature increase, a flush flourishing over his cheeks from the embarrassment he was experiencing. Slowly, he opened his eyes after his assault was paused, a hand finding its way to his face to make sure their eyes met. He knew the other was looking him over, those eyes dancing over the numerous bruises he had left, the rise and fall of the messenger's chest and then towards those parted lips.

Dark Mist licked his lips slowly and then brought them down, letting them ghost over Astral's. The male shuddered as their eyes stayed locked, as if daring one another to turn away. Astral began to feel uneasy, knowing the other was taking in every inch of him. "Dark..."

For a long moment, the dark double said nothing but moved to warmly capture the other's lips, both hands now moving to cup the messenger's face. Astral, finally free, tentatively wrapped his arms around the slender shoulders of the other, pulling them ever closer. This was what Astral enjoyed. Despite the Number's cold skin, the security the other was providing him was something he knew was going to be the death of him.

"My Astral. _Mine._"


	3. Chapter 3

**(Decided to try something. I was recently (loosely) inspired by another fanfiction on tumblr so~)**

The university student sat in the cafe with a cup of coffee in his hand, taking a diligent sip of it every now and then as he eyed his paperwork. The assignment was simple, the class being World History. Something that fascinated him with different aspects of life and cultures. But, then again, what _didn't_ fascinate him?

Math was fun to figure out. Everything was in a formula that he could understand and manipulate if he knew what to do, and for that it was just memorizing which key words were nit-picked and placed. Chemistry and Biology had his attention with the chemicals and...well, he could go on for a long time. And because of this, he was a straight A student with the knowledge of a computer by this point.

Flipping through a book he had recently bought at the library, he looked over the ancient Egyptian scriptures that had been written, supposedly, in 400 A.D. However, it was abruptly ruined as someone bumped right into his drink, causing the hot liquid to nearly spill had his hand not grabbed the handle. It got right on his thigh and he had a look that could kill as he glanced up to the waiter. 'I wore good pants today too... White.'

But he paused, seeing that the waiter was no waiter at all, but someone who had deliberately knocked over the cup to let their eyes meet. Warm honey and gold met without resistance, the scowl ever so slowly fading off of Astral's face. The other male gave a sheepish grin, moving to grab a napkin off the table.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! Here." He grabbed Astral's knee and moved him lightly just to mop up the stain from the white pants. Yeah, like _that _was coming out. Stubbornly, the student pulled his leg away, not truly liking their lack of distance and how care-free the other was with keeping his hands on his leg. He became tense, speaking lowly. "It's fine. I'll just figure out how to remove it once I get home."

But just as he turned away entirely to focus on his work, the other was sitting right in front of him, a coy smile flashing along his face. "Well, if you're sitting here then it's definitely not going to come out quick enough~."

Astral watched the male for a moment, eyeing the way his fedora pushed down on his hair to let it hang over his right eye. There was nothing special about this guy. He seemed to only wear dark clothing and wanted to torment him. In defiance of answering, the student only took a sip of his caffeinated drink and then continued on his work in silence.

This seemed to really agitate the other as he began talking again. "Are you directly ignoring me?" Even when his voice had lowered, Astral didn't pay a single dime of attention to how much of a threat he could've posed.

"Yes. Because I have no business with you." Astral took another sip to hide his faint grin of amusement as the male seemed to get a cat-like stance. As if all the hair on his form had raised up in sheer irritation and disliking. But just as quick as it had come, it smoothed back down as he grunted.

In the meantime, Astral hit the combination keys of Ctrl and S, saving his work quickly onto his flashdrive. But that was his direct mistake as the other suddenly snatched it right out of the laptop, leaping out of his chair and holding it between his fingers. "Now you have business with me~." And he took off.

The student gawked and shot to his feet. "H-Hey!" And he started off after him. In the back of his mind, Astral hopped no one would take his seat. Reaching the colder winter air made him flinch, making the male wish he had brought his jacket before he tightened his scarf and moved as fast as he could.

Astral could see the male take a turn into the downtown streets, and he followed suit, sharply turning on his heels to make sure he didn't lose sight of him. Actually, as soon as he had taken the turn, he smacked right into the guy he had been pursuing, causing him to damn near fall flat on his ass. And the guy was practically born from a brick wall!

The student looked up at the male, faintly dazed until he caught those dark golden eyes. "Give it back!"

Such a weak sentence made the dark-haired male give a soft snort before he kneeled in front of Astral. "Really? Why should I? I haven't even specified as to why I even took it from you."

"To torment me. Now, give it back!" Of all the times to have to deal with a thief... The male held up a single finger. Astral already knew what that meant. "Let me guess, you'll give it back to me on one condition?" The smirk that lifted the other's lips made the student want to practically groan in sheer despair but...he didn't for now.

"Want to know that condition?" Astral raised an eyebrow and just that single facial expression made the male give a snicker. It was quite a cute expression, the way he tipped his head to the side and just looked absolutely clueless! The male held out a hand to the one on the ground.

Such a gesture made Astral incredibly skeptical to take it but, after a moment, he accepted the other's hand. In seconds, Astral took in a few things just by this touch. The other's hand was not much larger than his own and he was very _warm_. Something he needed in this cold air. But that wasn't it. As soon as he got up, another arm wrapped around his waist to push their bodies closer as a pair of lips covered his own.

Two things passed in his mind. One was to flail about like a decapitated chicken to try and escape, even without his flashdrive but the other was the fact that...he was freezing. This guy was the embodiment of a heated thermos! Needless to say, the colder male curled up into the needed warmth, feeling his own cheeks heat up out of embarrassment of how easily he gave into his first kiss.

It surprised the other, for sure, causing him to pull away. Astral clung to him instead, not wanting to look him in the eyes as he mumbled, "You're warm. I'm not because I forgot my jacket. Now give me back my flashdrive."

The student felt the other laugh well within his chest before a pair of arms just simply embraced him. "Fine, fine. You can have your flashdrive back. But only if I get to walk you back to the cafe." Astral seemed to think on this subject before he took a quick glance at the other, having been snug under his chin.

"On one condition," he began, amused the other raised an eyebrow. "You pay for my new pair of pants and give me your name."

"That's two!"

"If you don't oblige, I'm not walking back with you to the cafe." Astral could barely keep his own grin off of his face as the other's jaw dropped. This sly little asshole seemed to already have him wrapped around his finger. But, then again, so did he.

Gradually, the thief gave a grin and then mustered a dramatic sigh, looking off to the side. "Fine~. Dark Mist, at your service~. I already know who you are, Astral. Because I've been watching you for some time."

"I know," the student stated. "Because I see you staring at me every time during lunch. And I _know _you were the one to stick that letter in my bag the other day."

"Since when?"

Astral suddenly moved to his toes, applying a quick kiss to Dark Mist's cheek which surprised the hell out of the other. "Since now. How can I forget your face when its always been looking right at me from my peripheral vision? Yuma might not have noticed, but I find it easy to figure out. And now that we've had our agreement...can we go back before I get a cold?"

Dark Mist watched Astral for a long time before he ended up smirking, an arm going around his waist. "Heh, yeah, yeah. Not as clueless as you seem to be."

"Hm? Clueless on what?"

"...Nevermind."


	4. Chapter 4

**(Asked by**Guest: **AU Where 96 Is In The Place Of Astral and Astral Is In The Place Of Yuma )**

Cards laid on top of one another, organized on top of a desk of sturdy cypress (supposedly). Numbers were off to the side, glowing brightly in a way that was rather captivating for the duelist. His honeyed eyes sparkled just as brightly as he watched them with an almost childlike fascination. Carefully, the schoolboy moved two fingers to flip over the nearest card and his heart caught in his throat for a solid second.

Number 39: Aspiring Emperor - Hope

It was his favorite Numbers card, unlike his current companion. A hand went up to touch the Emperor's Key that hung around his neck, warm fingers feeling the different temperature contrast of the cold texture. His companion, he knew, was someone entirely different from him. His double, so-to-speak. They had the same form aside from their different colors, but their intentions weren't quite one. Not at all.

Thinking about it made the male reach over to another card and tenderly flip it over, taking care not to bend it. Even though it bent his heart and stomach in more ways than he could count. This Number made him sick to his stomach, because this was the card that _was_his double.

Number 96: Black Mist

'Black Mist...' Astral thought, caressing the dark card with his thumb before he shuddered, shoulders becoming tense. Each time he dueled, the male was already coming forth right from the Key he had obtained from his missing parents. For some reason, the male was always inside of there, but he figured it because he was re-obtaining his memories. After all, they were supposedly within the heart of the Numbers. But something felt wrong...

Astral tried his hardest to not collect the Numbers as he always felt tormented by the grin that spread across his double's face. It was such a cheshire, sly smile that it sent warning signals right through the male's brain, so fast that he could practically see red. And not only that, but the astral entity was always near him, whispering in his ear and suggesting the best ways to get to those cards. He always found a place to put his hands too. It was always on the shoulders or along the biceps of the duelist whenever he wasn't busy. Or even on the hips if he was ever trying to _really_bother him.

That was the thing that made Astral so nervous of Number 96. He could touch Astral, despite being an invisible being to everyone else around him. In school, he was nothing more than just air, and on the roads, he wasn't even existing. And he could do whatever he wanted to the schoolboy, and not a single person could lift a finger except at the one who acted so weirdly. Astral.

Shuffling the cards and then piling them up into a stack of 30, he slipped them over to the side and filed up the rest of them. Such a neat order they were in! But, that was Astral. A bit of a neat freak and always keeping his room free of cards, seeing as his family really didn't want him dueling. At least, not with strangers on the road.

With that being cleaned up and stuffed neatly into his desk drawer, he reached over to turn out the light on the tabletop, hearing the satisfying _click_as it went out. But it wasn't dark, not quite yet. Astral looked over his shoulder, golden orbs eyeing the moonlight that filtered through the wide window. Flecks of dust were easily visible in the illuminating light, and for a long moment, the male just stared, crossing his legs and holding his chin in his hands.

And just as he was getting comfortable, he felt the semi need to really deck the newcomer in the face. Really hard.

"Oh Astral~," someone called, the voice causing the key to glow and vibrate with energy. Like a 3D movie, the owner of the malicious voice appeared right beside the schoolboy, hands on his hips and his entire form floating a good foot off the ground. As usual. "Going to bed so soon~? And on a weekend?"

There was another thing about the male that bothered him. Not only was he a form of a Number and filled to the brim with venom, he was also completely bare from head to toe, not a single article of clothing cloaking him. Every time Black Mist appeared, he had to look away to make sure his eyes didn't travel down to the provocative 'V' near his hips. Already thinking about it just made the male run a hand over his face to hide the distinctive flush.

"It's none of your business, you know. Besides, my body is in need of energy at the same time. An inner clock, you could say, is what my body runs on." Astral glanced to the floating entity for a moment and then blinked in shock. For the first time since he came here, Black Mist blinked in confusion.

"An inner clock? So there's a clock inside you?" An animated sweatdrop appeared by the side of Astral's head at the statement. It seemed that he still misunderstood what he said still. Not like he could blame him though. He turned around in his seat to face the other.

"Erm…no. Not- not a literal clock-!" The duelist stopped all words. Not only had his words went right over the Number's head, the other had also came a lot closer to him. And it wasn't just to pester him more about the incident, but to try and satisfy his curiosity as he laid a hand on Astral's chest.

Astral stopped breathing altogether, feeling his own heartbeat pick up beneath the cold fingers of his double. Black Mist actually seemed to concentrate on the increasing heartrate in the other's chest, feeling it beneath his fingertips.

"So… I think your clock is here," he muttered. "So if this clock stops, does that you mean that you stop too?" Such an innocent gaze met Astral's for a long moment, gold meeting with flustered honey. Slowly, the schoolboy nodded.

Just what was this guy planning to do? He was practically sitting in his lap, and at such a close proximity that it was making him nervous. But yet, he couldn't look away from the male before him. His gaze was thoughtful, more than ever. "It's slowing down."

Astral licked his lips slowly before he spoke, that simple movement catching the eyes of the double. "That's…because I'm relaxing. When I'm relaxed and calm, my hea—er, clock is slow but steady."

Black Mist tipped his head to the side. "When does it speed up?" he muttered, watching Astral purse his lips in thought. No, hesitation. After all, why did Astral want to give away as to why it was slowing down in the first place?

A pair of arms slowly began to slip around his neck, causing the schoolboy to jerk in surprise and immediately push on the other. "H-Hey, what are you doing!?" The other only clung tighter, his fingers lacing together behind Astral's neck while he straddled his waist.

Black Mist pressed his chest to the other's with a growing smirk, letting their noses brush at how close they were. "I'm trying to see what made your clock tick faster."

Astral opened his mouth to speak, to protest but the more he struggled to get the male off of him, the more he could feel Black Mist's chest on his own. And with that, he understood that the dark male was feeling for his heart with his own body. Black Mist seemed triumphant, having clearly understood that just his own presence made Astral's body do this.

The duelist began to grow worried at the silence that echoed in the room, and he tried to focus on something other than the one in front of him, but right now, that was impossible. They both knew that they were locked onto one another, eyes observing their reflection to see any sign of defiance, motivation or anything that was easy to see.

Astral saw movement with the other's arms and he cringed faintly, but was rewarded with a surprise that made his heartbeat skyrocket. His cheeks flushed a fresh scarlet hue as the Number's lips fell upon his own; soft and absolutely desirable.

He attempted to pry away, not wanting to give into temptation but he was quickly silenced by the playful tongue that intruded past his lips. A groan slipped from his lips, increasing in volume a bit more as slender fingers embedded into his hair, pushing their lips even closer as their eyes shut.

Wrapping his arms around Black Mist, he dragged him ever closer into his body, causing the other to happily oblige and wrap his legs around Astral's waist. Neither had experienced anything intimate before. Perhaps that was why Astral found it like a soft comfort. But it wasn't lasting long as the other began pushing him back into his seat, completely dominating his mouth as he easily let his tongue curl and push Astral's down. He could win duels with cards, but not this. Black Mist wasn't going to let him.

Hands gradually slipped away from the white-haired duelist's scalp, causing him to whine faintly in the back of his throat. However, those hands soon slipped up past his shirt and he jumped, cold fingers laying over his rapidly beating heart just as the other pulled away.

Astral, having lost his breath, seemed rather starstruck before he was watching the other. The male was damn near sitting on his hipbones, but seemed comfortable as he traced cold patterns into the duelist's sternum, feeling his heartbeat.

"You know, Astral," he murmured, looking at his double with a cat-like smile. "I don't want to see you stop moving. I don't want your clock to stop. Because, for one thing, that would be rather…boring." However, he frowned, as if he didn't find the right word. Astral seemed to take notice of such and he gradually raised a perfect eyebrow.

Black Mist looked up at Astral from under his lashes and then frowned a bit deeper before burying his face into his chest. "I don't want you to leave me, idiot! Because I like you!"

If the schoolboy's jaw could've dropped any lower, it would have. And yet, wasn't Black Mist always the cause of his rapid heartbeat? Wasn't he always able to feel like he could always talk to the Number? About anything?

Slowly, pale hands came up to the smooth face of the darker entity, causing him to look up into those honeyed orbs. And slowly, Astral smiled, vaguely amused with the other's surprise. "I won't leave you. Because I like you too. Despite your atrocious touching."

Black Mist blinked only for a split second, registering his double's words, before he gave a wide grin and wrapped his arms around his neck again. Astral gasped as he heard the chair tip over entirely, causing him to fall out of his seat and right onto the soft carpet. And, as if he had no problem with balance at all, Black Mist sat perfectly still on his hips.

"Then I'm sure you won't mind this then." And for the second time that night, they let their lips tenderly search for one another's, knowing that they shared feelings that no one would understand. Not from any world other than their own.

**(Swear to God, this should've been made for Halloween because I got cavities. ;o )**


	5. Chapter 5

**(Asked by **Guest: **How about one where they get stuck in the rain together?)**

Black Mist gazed skyward at the greying atmosphere. It was quite a perfect display for him, because he had always hated the warm and sunny days. Just wasn't a thing for him to like, after all. Peace and harmony was something he didn't agree with, because he preferred to torment others and send their happiness down the drain.

Speaking of down the drain… A fleck of water hit the male right on the nose, causing the cartilage to give a soft twitch before he looked away from the clouds. The city was already dark with the oncoming night but the flashing neon lights kept it all alive. Cars passed by and onward, through the light drizzle, At first, the male wondered if he should go home or not. How long had he been waiting here?

And then came the downpour five minutes later. Trench coat becoming soaked and the bottom of his boots giving off that annoying squeak every time he moved. His hair, having once been gelled back and combed well, was now a mess and trying to stick upright like a duck's ass. He knew because he could feel it.

Using both hands, Black Mist attempted to smooth it all down and grumbled about how it still made him get a really noticeable cowlick. All because his date was running slow! Way too far behind schedule, and for God knows what reason.

Opening his coat a bit, he flipped his phone on, checking the time and the last few text messages he got. Anger boiled up in his chest as he realized that his date hadn't even responded to his last text that was sent one full hour ago!

2:08 PM: _I suppose so. I'll see if I can make it, although, it seems pretty easy to get to._

2:08 PM: _You better get your ass there. Otherwise, it's going to end up redder than Yuma's shirt!_

2:08 PM: _You said that last time. But, the coffee shop, right?_

2:09 PM: _Yeah. Meet you there._

It was now 4:50 PM. The other hadn't even agreed at that time, so did that mean he ditched him? Couldn't make it? Had an accident? The first thought that came to mind was that he had totally ditched him for something else. Probably his studies. Ugh!

In irritation, Black Mist tucked his phone away angrily and went into the shop by himself, dripping wet and forced to take his shoes off at the door as well. With a quick flick of his wrist, he threw in some money at the cashier's hand, running a hand through his wet hair. "Dark chocolate mocha, caramel and whip cream at top."

They gave him his seat number and he sat down with a 'puff' of air. Gradually, his anger subsided as he received his drink in a reasonable amount of time, five minutes, and the recent news was keeping him busy.

The mocha was good, the taste of the sweet coating his mouth with a rich chocolate and a thin line of sweet caramel. But what made it great was the bitter mouthful of coffee that hit his tongue, warm and matching the warm glow of the café itself. But, soon enough, he checked his phone.

5:13 PM

Right there, he could've threw the phone at the wall. A glare crossed his face and those bright, yellow eyes became as sharp as knives, stabbing right at the poor iPhone.

Black Mist stood up abruptly and shoved the device into his back pocket before he began to leave, shoving his coat back on and slipping his feet right back in boots. Throughout the whole time, he was fuming.

'Three damn hours. THREE! And still hasn't even shown a foot nor hair!' Just what could have been so much more important than going on a date they scheduled? Didn't even reply!

As he walked outside, it looked like the downpour had increased and the male gave a snarl under his breath, scaring a few of the passerby's quite a bit. At this point, he felt like an animal, one kicked right in the core. With such in his mind, he turned on his heel and began to stalk off, staying out of the rain.

But a voice caught his attention.

"Black Mist! Wait! Please, wait!"

The male whirled around so fast he knew that he nearly splashed himself with the excessive amount of water on his coat. Indeed, off in the distance was his date, soaking wet and looking as if he had run a mile. He had no coat on, sloppy bandages were wrapped around his left arm, and the knees of his pants were filthy.

Black Mist ran over to the other faster than he could've imagined himself doing, a sincere look of concern crossing his features. "Astral, what the hell-?" But before he could even touch the male, he was bowing low, hands avoiding his torn up knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry. I had been attempting to fix Yuma supper. I-I tried to respond to you but I spilled hot water on my hand." Here, he faintly flexed his messily bandaged arm, wincing before he continued. "I attempted to clean up before he got home and by the time I was done, it was already 3:30. My car wouldn't start either…so, I ran here."

Astral lived on the total opposite side of town with Yuma, his helper around with the finances. Ha, Black Mist called bullshit on that. Heat crawled up through the male's chest cavity. Anger, again, but not towards Astral being late. "Where was Yuma?"

"He was helping his Grandmother," he replied, straightening and looking at the other. Black Mist managed a sigh before he tenderly pulled the other into the warmth of his trench coat, wrapping it around the tired male. Astral gave into the heat and comfort without missing a heartbeat, laying his head on the male's chest.

"I'm sorry, really…" He noticed the cup of coffee in his date's free hand and flinched but the soft chuckle made him look up in surprise.

"You know I can stay mad at you, Astral. But let's get you taken care of first before we worry about getting anything in the café. Okay?" The male nodded, quick to be rewarded with a soft kiss on his forehead. "But if you get sick, I won't forgive you."

With that, the two went into the nearest thrift store. Astral's health was Black Mist's number one priority. Because Astral was all he needed to survive. Screw coffee.

**(This one was really fun to write, I'll admit. xD)**


	6. Chapter 6

**(Asked by **aothebluesamurai: **Astral attempts to swim, but drowns. And guess who has to save him..)**

"Oh come on, Astral. It doesn't look that bad!" Yuma settled his hands on his hips as he heard the other male shuffle awkwardly behind the dressing room door, not daring to come out just yet. Yuma's words were of plain encouragement, seeing as he had no idea as to what the male looked like at all, but what else could he do? Stand there and twiddle his thumbs? Nope.

Yuma stood there for a little bit longer before a grin stretched out across his face. Astral poked his head out slowly and then came out. But not in his swimwear that Yuma had hoped to see. But, oh well. At least he was able to come out without much problem. "Well? Comfortable? Price isn't too bad either." The male glanced to the side at the price of the swimwear.

It was summertime here, and the prices for a lot of things had gone down due to plenty of sales because they knew it would all make more money than anything else. Why buy a pair of swim trunks over 20 dollars when you get 3 for nearly the same price? Astral cleared his throat to catch Yuma's glance, who raised an eyebrow.

"They're comfortable." A small smile suddenly flashed across his lips, catching Yuma off guard. "But…let's go." Ah, right, Astral had never gone swimming before, so this was his first time there. The roommates began to head out the minute Yuma paid, grinning towards the clerk before the two were running for the beach. Astral kept up right with him, making sure to keep his bag on his shoulder as he put the swim trunks in there.

Astral had never seen a beach except in books, and even as he ran, he began daydreaming as he let his foot go on auto-pilot. The beaches were normally very warm, such as today, the sand soft and as white as cotton while the sea was a crisp, aquamarine hue that carried on for miles upon endless miles.

When they got there, he was right. Breathing hard from the excited running he and Yuma had managed, they both took a double-take as the sun kissed their skin. Yuma had been here several times with Tetsuo and Kotori when on vacations, but ever since Astral moved in, neither one of them had been able to take a good detour to back here.

Astral's jaw had dropped in a perfect motion of awe, eyeing the multiple people already there. Colorful water tubes and bathing suits filled his vision as the water sparkled. It was all pristine, polished off with picnic blankets, lawn chairs and the smell of grilled food. Yuma patted his shoulder, causing him to look down.

"Let's go get dressed, 'kay? The bathrooms are over there, so~…" And he trailed off before grabbing Astral's wrist, leading him along to the bathrooms. Astral felt his face accompany a soft shade of red as he realized he had to wear the thin material. Not supposed to be worn with underwear, right? He realized this as he was in the bathrooms and in a stall, face flushed as he stripped down.

Yuma was out of his own stall in simple seconds, the rustling of clothing the only thing that was really audible during the silence in the stalls. Astral wiggled his toes once he let his bare feet hit the floor, socks and tennis shoes being off to the side. The floor was gritty, no doubt to make sure you didn't slip on the cold floor. There was water in here, probably from a lot of wet hair and the showers off to the side to keep the salt from soaking up into your skin too much. Or to remove sand in general.

Slowly, Astral poked his head out of the stall, causing Yuma to roll his dirty brown eyes and then hold out a hand. How confident the other was! He was standing outside in the warm air, a hand on his hip and the other waiting for Astral's hand. Shyly, Astral shook his head before he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Hey, those _do _look good on you!" Colored white as the main theme and then decorated with coils of sky blue, it certainly did suit the feminine male's usual color theme. "Come on! I can bet the water's warm by now! It's almost noon!" However, Astral knew what was coming up next just as they got out of the bathrooms. The smell of barbequed food was just off to the side at a nearby shop and despite their previous excitement, it made his partner stop. Cold. Yuma was drooling in about 2.5 seconds, lifting himself onto his toes to the delicious smell of roasting meat. Needless to say, the student wasn't surprised with his roommate. Not at all.

"Uh…hey, Astral. You can check out the water if you want, but right now, I don't think my breakfast this morning was enough." The golden-eyed male rolled his eyes before waving Yuma off. Wasting no time, both of them split up, Astral ready to dive and check out the water and Yuma just itching to dive into sauces and good food.

People were everywhere, building makeshift castles with whatever skills they could muster in the wet granules. Each one was as different as the bathing suits. Speaking of that, he also took notice of the people in each outfit. Women and young girls had the fun of wearing comfortable two-piece bikinis, one-piece swim suits and each one was nothing alike! Same went for the pattern on the men's swimwear. Nothing was alike. Different patterns were etched along the sides or the hems and waistband, the colors as extravagant as the floating toys and tubes.

Astral smiled before he stepped onto the sand, feeling it envelope his feet. It was like grass, only… Huh, he didn't know how to word it. But it had a fun feeling to it as it flowed with his movements. And probably thanks to his pasty-white skin, he was pretty much considered an outcast in this place. Many people were sun-kissed or a reddish sort of hue that he…somewhat admired.

Shaking his head, he carefully tread through the sands, being wary of those laying on the beach and the castles that the kids had managed to build. But he approached the water with childlike eagerness, standing on the far-away docks to not look like he blended in with the sand. Crystal-clear water stretched out for an enormous amount of miles left and right, and even down. And guess who stood at the end of the docks?

Kneeling on the rough wood, Astral observed the belly of the ocean, watching the water ripple like the waves of a crystal gown. And just at the bottom, something had caught his eye. "Nn? What's that…? A seashell?" Peering further in with narrowing eyes, he soon was able to trace the features of a conch shell, causing his lips to part in curiosity.

But how was he going to get it? Just how far was it? Surely not too far! And besides, he could see for a long way down, so there wasn't anything that was going to eat him, surely. Taking in a breath, Astral scooted himself off the edge of the peer and let the water hit up at him.

The water wasn't different when you weren't in a bathtub and it hurt too! The male attempted to open his eyes and was punished with the sting of the salt water, causing him to flinch and try to kick his legs. Every time he had tried rubbing his eyes, it didn't help him at all and he just wanted to get to the surface.

The simple kicking of the legs was not working out for the male and his heart squeezed in sheer panic. He had the desperate desire to breathe, but he held that thought back, squinting to try and ward off the sea water, but to no avail. Which was he facing? Hadn't he been going up a minute ago?

Astral began to thoroughly panic, stretching his arms out to try and reach the surface. _Yuma! Yuma, where are you!? _Bubbles of useless oxygen left the corners of the male's lips as he attempted continuously, frantically, to swim up. His hand hit the water but his relief was drowned away as he realized that he had only swiped at the air just above the surface.

Again and again, he tried, swiping constantly. Once…twice… Astral felt the pressure on his chest increase more and more as time ticked by and by now, he could barely see the peer from how far out he was. His useless swimming tactics had only served him by driving him further out into the ocean and now, it was dark beneath his feet.

The pressure broke on his chest and he gasped. Water filled up his lungs and he attempted to cough, hating the sting of the salt that entered through his throat and nose, but it wasn't leaving. He was only taking in more and more water.

He was drowning. Astral was dying slowly in this massive container of water, his legs and frantic thrashing having stopped. Darkness coated the edges of his gaze as fear consumed him entirely. _Yuma… I'm sorry…_

* * *

><p>Truth be told, he had only come due to the fact he had lost a bet. A pitiful little bet that he hadn't really cared for but, oh well. It wasn't like he had anything to do here that made the bet bad. In fact, he was quite content here.<p>

In fact, about noon was when things had gotten interesting, a splash war having went on between him and five other friends. True, it was fun but that wasn't what had gotten his full-blown attention. It was the shout of someone in the sands behind him.

"Someone's drowning!" Black Mist snapped his head incredibly fast towards where the shrieking young woman was, gazing out to where her finger was pointing soon after with a hum of curiosity. His eyes widened for a moment, catching the small flicker of water and a glimpse of white fingers. Had it not been for the female, there was no way he would have seen them.

Instinct took over his legs and the male tore out of the waist deep water to race down the sideline of the beach, his build easily helping him make it over there before anyone else. People slowed down, watching him tear off along the wooden dock. By now, a crowd had formed at the water's edge or turned to look at him.

Unlike Astral, Black Mist knew how to swim and as he dived off the wooden platform, he did so headfirst and wasted no time in kicking his legs. Used to the burn of water on his eyes, he accepted the pain and focused as to where he had seen the hand but was quick to gawk.

How did he manage to get so far away from the docks!? Kicking his feet faster, he wondered just how alive the male would be, seeing as he was…entirely lifeless, floating in the middle of the water. A shudder darted down his spine before he was close enough to the male, grabbing him into his arms before swimming to the top.

Black Mist broke through the water, keeping the young male's head on his shoulder, even as he coughed up the consumed water. The male looked down to the paler one, surprised with the reflexes of his body. Did that mean he was conscious?

"Hold on. Hold on. Let's just get you to land." His words were soft, something he never would have revealed to his group of friends. But…the other was so fragile looking that he was afraid that if he spoke too harshly, the other might somehow break.

Arms looped slowly around the male's neck, and Astral slowly opened his eyes, continuing to cough into his own arm as he made sure he kept his head above water level. Those eyes caught sight of the male that was holding him and he swore his heart died in his chest.

He was _beautiful. _Golden eyes met with Astral's, letting him see the more defined and smooth features of his savior. His skin was darker than his own, his hair such a deep black that he wondered if the other had somehow dyed it in charcoal.

Yuma's voice made Astral forcefully pull his eyes away from the other's, watching him frantically waddle up waist-deep into the water without getting his bag of food wet. The student couldn't help but smile at the concern of his roommate. "I'm alright, Yuma," he said, giving a sheepish and hidden point to the one carrying him before he felt the male's feet grasp ahold of the sand.

"Hey." That single syllable caught his attention and Astral glanced up, nearly wincing as that warm gaze became sharp. "…You can't even swim. Why are you here?" Sheepishly, Astral looked to the side as he felt the water let go of his body, leaving Black Mist in it at his knees.

"…I…wanted to see the beach," he muttered, the truth catching the other off guard. Astral felt his face redden, even if it was only a slight change of hue. It was clearly noticeable for the boy's savior and he gave a chuckle before leaning down close to Astral's ear.

The student's heart fluttered like a panicked humming bird's, soft lips brushing over the shell of his sensitive ear. "Then meet me here tomorrow at noon, and I'll teach you how to swim." That sly voice caressed Astral's whole body, from his jawline all the way down to his toes, which curled up. "Deal?"

Astral swallowed and nodded, feeling grateful as sand met with his feet and toes again. But he damn near leaped out of his skin as a hand groped his backside, causing those pale cheeks of his to become as red as lobster. A few girls noticed and giggled at the mischievous act, but kept it quiet amongst themselves.

But despite that, he came back again, unknowing of how close that they would actually become.


	7. Chapter 7

**(Asked by **No Name: **How about one were Astral is struggling to understand a new emotion. So he goes to the source of said emotion: Black Mist.)**

How long had he been contemplating the emotions that coursed through his body? It was so unique, making his nerves clench up in various parts of his body. Whenever a battle began, the male never used to feel his toes curl, feel his jaw lock in the suspense nor feel his shoulders become stiff whenever Yuma was injured during a duel. However, there was something else that beginning to bother the astral entity, and as he watched the rain fall, he attempted to recall whenever this new feeling occurred.

The male sighed and moved to put a hand to his chin now, humming in sheer thought as he remembered every sense he had. But there was just one problem about it all. In the meantime, Yuma let out a monstrous snore and moved around in his hammock, drool having slipped from the corner of his mouth. There was no way he was coming out of his deep stupor, but as he turned around in his bed, the glint of the Emperor's Key caught his gaze.

A stupid thought crossed his mind, for once in his life here with Yuma. For once, he proclaimed that a single thought of his own was...perpetually retarded. But...surely the idea would be at least somewhat helpful in this situation! Although it was a bad idea in the first place that even _Yuma _would get at him for, he needed to do something to understand this emotion, at least. It always happened around _him _anyway, so maybe he felt it too? Or would at least explain it.

Softly, Astral breathed in a lungful of air and let it out, furthermore contemplating on his not-so-healthy choice, but with a shake of his head, he let himself sink into the Emperor's Key that winked at him so stubbornly. It was clearly trying to draw his attention. The transition from the outside world to the key was the same as usual. Waves of force put pressure on the astral being's form, as if trying to shove him out with as much force as possible. But there was no such thing as 'defeat' for Astral. Not even in this as he pushed past the gates and looked over the airship.

The plain was as open as ever, the white sand below stretching out for endless miles to where it was a sea of soft dunes. The stars above twinkled faintly above him, as if to welcome him to this odd-end world that made him so attracted him to it. A sigh slipped through his nose before he looked at the golden airship, observing each rim, piece of texture and the overall shape of it. It was the same as before, but he needed questions from someone that would understand his question.

As soon as he slipped past the threshold of the dismantled ship, he immediately sensed the hearty glow of the other Number cards he had received. For a moment, Astral watched them glow, as if they were showing happiness. Perhaps it was because they were used to his presence here in this place? As he regained his usual stance of folded arms and crossed ankles, he watched them, a slender eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"You...are trying to tell me something?" A hurried mixture of warm whispers floated past his pointed ears, enveloping his thoughts almost immediately. And truthfully, it would've been the only thing he would've heard if was making sure to keep himself out of the musical trance. But he had other things to do right now, as his curiosity was getting the better of him by this point, but he stopped, mouth only partly open. One single voice caught his true attention, causing all Numbers to recoil.

"Oho~, look who is here!" Such simple words echoed from everywhere, and Astral felt it all crawl up along each limb. It ran over his arms and ankles, crawling up to a shudder along the arch of his spine and over the nape of his neck. Ah, yes. This was the effect that confused him so, but perhaps it was just the uncanny entrance of his double? But where was he!?

"I had a favor to ask of you," Astral stated, doing a slow 360 around himself to make sure the other wasn't clinging to his shoulder. No...nothing... A faint furrow in his brow proved that he was vaguely worried, even more so as that cool voice caressed his skin from all sides. There was curiosity coating the Number's throat and words, showing that Astral had gotten him interested.

"Oh~?" Warm air licked up the shell of his ear and Astral spun around. Nothing was there. "A favor for me? From the one who is oh-so mighty and capable of dueling the big baddies all by himself~?" Taunting words was what spilled forth from Black Mist's mouth, causing Astral to narrow his eyes. But he had to ask, and now was the most appropriate time.

"Yes. Will you hear me out, or continue playing this unnecessary game with me, _Number 96_?" The other's name was more of a threat than anything else. A low, melodramatic hum came from everywhere again, snuffing out the sound of the endless movement of the cogwheels beneath the airships surface. It wasn't a pleasant sound, considering he sounded so bored. "...Well?" A knot of impatience grew in the male's stomach as he waited, listening for that velvet voice.

Tendrils shot up from just below Astral's feet, grasping onto his slender ankles to keep him from moving. The male snapped his gaze downward immediately as he realized he couldn't move. Helplessness flooded his chest, and grew by the minute as a pair of familiar arms wrapped around his torso, pressing his back to someone's front. Not like Black Mist minded though. "Go on, little Astral~. What's this deal?"

"Favor," the entity corrected, feeling each appendage feel around his legs and hips, staying around there just to agitate him. "...Would...do you happen to know some emotions humans have?" Dark Mist tipped his head to the side, seeming to think for a moment. A smirk crossed his lips a few seconds afterward, the single lip curl making every hair on Astral's neck rise up without much of a problem.

"What sort of emotion~?"

"That's what I don't know," the light double muttered, glancing to the side. Another low hum echoed behind in sheer thought. So, the other was thinking? He supposed to that was a good sign for the time being, since it meant he was probably being either serious or extremely snotty. One of the two.

"So~, you don't know what it is, right? What sets you off?" _Here_ is where Astral found a hard time in getting his tongue to move, the entire muscle feeling as heavy as lead. Hell, he even wondered if he was suffocating by this fair point. He knew it, but would he really be able to tell this one? It would not only decrease his pride, but the step he had over the Number would crumble very quickly. Dark Mist was soon taking note of his double's silence and a dark chuckle filtered through his lips. Fingertips pressed against the immobile duelists sternum, causing Astral to faintly move.

"I'm waiting~," he sang, quick to bite at the male's ear. Astral attempted to pull away from the other but those arms held on fast, wrapping themselves tighter around the male's shoulders, but because of this, Astral's heartbeat was immediately recognizable. It was going much faster than what it was supposed to, really.

Astral knew it too and spoke quickly, but it was with the word he didn't want. "You." His brain went into a fast-paced over drive, but despite how his mind was going at an impossible speed, trying to find something else to say, he knew he was right. His heart clutched in his chest as a pair of teeth slowly grabbed onto Astral's left earring and faintly tugged.

"Me, eh? ...This emotion, would you happen to know what letter it starts with~? Or maybe you've heard of it before?" This made Astral think, and for a moment, he remembered something Yuma had told him before. It was after a show that had ended. Yuma had been climbing into bed that night.

_"Yuma?"_

_"Yeah?" Yuma looked behind him, one knee in the swinging hammock and the other barely still on the ground. A frown came to his face, seeing his best friend's face contorted in such confusion. He was staring at the T.V screen, causing Yuma to soon follow his gaze to the powered off device._

_"Why is it that women and men embrace so much? I know it happens if they are trying to show comfort or are happy, but it seems different there." He tapped his chin, glancing off to the side for a moment, two-toned orbs thoughtful. _

_Yuma smiled, laughing lightly. "Well, it just means that they have a really strong feeling or bond between them. It means you like one another."_

_"But I already like you, Yuma." That clueless look that crossed Astral's face made the young duelist grin behind his pillow as he hugged it close to his chest, comfortable with the summer heat that made its way through the open window._

_"Well, yeah, I know you do but what they have is what we call love."_

_"Love?" The word was foreign on the messenger's tongue, who soon managed to tip his head. _

_"It's like friendship. It lasts forever, but...it's different. You feel it in your heart. Forever."_

"Astral~?"

The new voice brought him back from his stupor and he blinked slowly before licking his lips. Slowly, he parted his lips and breathed out the word with an oncoming sigh, to show his anxiety with just even thinking of voicing it.

"Love." Silence. It wasn't a silence that left everyone silent in a good, end of conversation pattern. This silent was ominous, specifying that the other was really thinking about this or completely stunned. Perhaps even again? The thought sent a chill up Astral's spine, but he waited patiently for the outcome. It couldn't be all that bad, right?

"What!? Love!?" The shock in Black Mist's voice made Astral strain to look at him from over his shoulder, lips parted faintly in wonder and in his own surprise.

"Yes. That is what Yuma told me." The silence that the other brought was surprisingly awkward for the astral being, who glanced away from those two-toned eyes that left heat on the back of his visible neck. Was it really so bad? Perhaps he should've re-thought it all out, seeing as Black Mist couldn't possibly feel the same towards him. But he at least wanted to know.

A pair of lips pressed against the nape of the male's neck, causing him to faintly jump in surprise. "If it is _I _that sets your heart off at such a pace, then what makes you think that it will help you in any way? It'll be just a hindrance to you~." A hand placed itself up over Astral's heart, and both of them could feel the speed increase.

"Do you know what I could do with you, Astral? Do you realize how much I can toy with your pure-coated mind with lies of betrayal? All I would think of is using you, just like how every duelist uses a card~." The more the Number spoke, the more his hands moved along Astral's front, grazing every crevice that he could find as Black Mist's breath coated the shell of his double's ear.

Astral knew that those words were true, lined with severe toxicity and caressing every inch of his being. It was an unnerving feeling, but it was not as bad as the sudden hot pain of his back hitting the floor of the airship. Those tendrils wrapped well around his slim ankles and wrists, keeping him down no matter how much he attempted to fight them.

"Look at you~." Astral looked up from the black snakes that kept him to the ground, eyes meeting up with those two-toned orbs of black and gold. "So weak and pitiful that it makes me more than satisfied." The male's face was above Astral's, full of amusement and with a crooked smirk that would send even Yuma running for a hot bath. Cold as ice it was…

"Let go of me, Black Mist." Despite the current predicament, Astral was incredibly calm, his eyes narrowing faintly as if to challenge the other. If he needed to fight his double, he most certainly would, without a single hesitation to keep him away from Yuma and destroying whatever he could.

Black Mist pulled away a bit to look skyward, a single finger dramatically tapping his chin in thought. A hum of thought resonated through his chest, as dark as ever. "Well~," he dragged, "if I was nice enough for once, I could probably say I _might_." He then looked down and that smirk returned. "But it never hurts to have a little bit of the sweetest things all to yourself, does it Astral?"

Said male kept a straight gaze at the other, unamused and not daring to withdrawal away from this bloodless fight. Seeing this still on the other's face made the dark-skinned double give something close to a growl before he snapped away and turned around in an almost childish way. Astral was relieved to feel those tendrils finally pull away from his skin and was quick to stand up in case the other tried anything. But he didn't.

"What a pity, Astral. You love me but I don't love you, and I don't think I ever will. But it's going to be on your mind for a very long time, isn't it?" Black Mist turned to look at the other but let his jaw hang as Astral was already out of the Emperor's Key. "H-HEY!"

The being didn't stay to listen to another earful of the other, not when he couldn't barely breathe from the coil on his heart. He didn't know what it was but…perhaps he would figure it out later. As he phased back into Yuma's world, he let out a sigh and turned to look out the window. The sun was rising already, leaving the sky to be cascaded in hues that were unexplainable. Something even he had never seen in his own world.

_I'll be waiting… my little, Astral~. _The voice that echoed in his head sent shivers down his spine, as if someone just caressed it with greedy fingers. Perhaps this possession was a sign of love in a sense? Maybe the other was doing his best to hide it? But he didn't need to worry about it now. No, he couldn't. Why?

Yuma's alarm was going off, and he wasn't moving an inch.


	8. Chapter 8

**(Asked by **Anonymous: **What**** about one where Astral and 96 fight–––then Astral is almost really hurt–––and Black Mist is super worried and they make up?**

"Look, I know it's bad but I can't come over tonight." The words that came from his boyfriend's mouth really ticked him off, to be honest. Because whatever Astral said that was like this, it was because he had to do something for _Yuma. _Yuma this, Yuma that, Yuma needs… The coffee cup between the young male's hands ended up damn near cracking between his fingers and Astral immediately took notice. But that wasn't what made him flinch.

The heavy shriek of wood scraping against tiled floor made the white-haired male cringe away. Astral knew the other wasn't happy what-so-ever and as he turned around to console his lover, he was rewarded with the dark-haired beast suddenly getting completely up in his face. Astral stepped back so fast he felt the counter dig into his spine, feeling warm breath fan over his face. He could detect the whiff of sweet coffee but the bitterness of his tone washed it away.

"Then maybe you should be happy with only _Yuma _if you're going to reject me for a third night," he seethed. The pale-skinned male opened his mouth for a moment, but Black Mist wasn't having it. No, he had heard enough of Astral's pathetic excuses, and to prove such, he abruptly tore away from the other and began to grab his coat from his chair. "Then maybe we should break up, eh?"

Just those words made Astral's heart squeeze in fear, but he was _not _going to simply stand idle and let him pluck at his strings like such. "What!? Black Mist, you know I-" Said male didn't even let the other answer as he slung his jacket over his shoulders, grunting as he did so.

"You know you wouldn't hurt me, right? That was what you were going to say, right? Ha! You always find a way to keep me away." The male gave a bark of a laugh before beginning to turn away and head for the door, spinning right on his heels. As he opened the door, a rather cruel smirk found its way to his lips before he began to turn to look at his boyfriend. He wasn't given a damn chance to even register the pale face before him before he heard the slap across his face.

Black Mist stood there for a long moment, mouth open until slender hands were pushing on his chest. Harder than what he could've imagined the male possible of mustering. He took a graceful step backwards, almost unable to catch himself from falling down the first flight of steps. Even in the dark of the night, he was able to see the door slam shut without a single beat of resistance and the lock clicking tight.

"Then consider this moment the one where we break up."

Time practically seemed to stop for the dark-haired male as he watched the white door. Somewhere, deep within his chest, he wondered if he felt his black heart give a sputter of both hate and despair that caught whatever breath he had. For a long while, the male waited for the boy to sheepishly open the door and meekly spout out an apology, but after a solid three minutes, Black Mist knew he wasn't going to get that.

"Goddamnit, Astral," the male snarled, spitting out his words with acid before stalking off back home. Tightening his coat around himself, the dark-haired duelist walked briskly down the street, avoiding cars and other people along the side.

Yuma came home late as hell from Tetsuo's home. They had been dueling and by now, it was nearly nine o'clock. Black Mist was surely there, seeing as this was the third night this week that he tried asking Astral over to his place. Personally, the young duelist was incredibly skeptical of the gang member.

He was known for stealing and cheating during duels, and Astral had been able to see right through him on the day that he had tried to get too close. It was like the male could practically smell trouble and avoid it. Was that why the two attracted one another? Yuma shrugged at the thought as he raced home, his bag hitting his hip without restraint, thanks to Yuma's lack of balance. But home was just up ahead, quiet and being taken over by Astral by this time of night.

Yuma's grandmother was up in the mountains for the week with his elder sister. Doing god-knows what of course, but this left Astral to the kitchen and helping Yuma survive his studies and brainless duels. Taking a swift turn, he moved to knock on the door to let Astral know he was home before he tried the knob.

"Eh?" Yuma looked down, seeing the knob only faintly turn in his grip. It was locked? What the hell!? Were those two getting it on!? An irritated look crossed his face before he tried the knob once again and then increased his knocking. "Astraaaal! Let me iiiiin! I swear to God, if you two are doing the nasty on the couch again, I'm gonna—whoa!" And he did a perfect faceplant as the door came loose.

The 'Welcome' mat felt like someone's foot was rubbing all over his face. …The narrator wonders why. Nevertheless, with a choking whine, the male moved up on all fours and then to his feet, rubbing his cheek. "Thanks, Astral." With a shake of his head, he closed the door behind him and then settled his bag on the ground.

The smell of food was an even bigger welcome and the boy took in a huge whiff of it, saliva piling up under his tongue, forcing him to already swallow. "Ohhh~ man~! That smells so good, Astral!" Truth be told, the more studious male had an incredibly hand for making dishes, no matter how difficult. Perhaps it was because he enjoyed working with recipes? Nevertheless, Yuma b-lined right for the kitchen and took a quick, guilty bite of the closest meal. The mac and nearly choked and spat it into the nearest trash can, gagging. Yuma could _not _have been more surprised as he stared at the warm meal. It was completely tasteless, soupy even and just lumpy in places it shouldn't be. Something Astral would _not _have made! Speaking of him…Yuma turned around, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as to where the male might have gone to. Wasn't hard to find him, seeing as he was just in the living room, lying on the velvet couch, the glow of a phone clearly showing that he was probably texting someone. The duelist smacked his lips together before deciding to go over, trying to ignore the fact that the tasteless muck was still lingering on his tongue.

"Astral?" The male didn't say a word, making the boy grow increasingly worried. What had happened…? "Hey, Astral, what's up? You're…really quiet." Another round of silence left the male nibbling on his lower lip for quite some time, picking at the skin until his best friend _did _speak. But it wasn't the answer Yuma had been looking for.

"Nothing." Oh, yeah! Sure! Nothing was definitely something, no matter who you were, and it seemed that Astral had just went through a nice round of Hell. Yuma had no doubt in his mind that it had been something with Black Mist. With a quirk of his eyebrow, the male slowly crouched down to the carpeted floor and slowly slid over to where Astral's head was. Making sure not to become poked in the eye by his hair, he attempted to peer upwards at the screen.

The words _I'm sorry _were typed out in the text box of Astral's phone, ready to be sent to, he guessed it, Black Mist. The name specifically being Black Mist with a little black heart beside it. Wow, was Astral really that mushy? It was sin to ask that, even in his head as Astral shot up so fast that Yuma had a close heart attack, watching the male tuck his phone into his abdomen and hide the bright blue glow.

"Yuma!" The call of the schoolboy's name was more of a whine than anything else, showing that the other didn't accept the sneaking nose, best friend or not. Said male chuckled nervously before moving to sit beside his friend, looking rather concerned. Astral never acted like this! Ever since he met Black Mist, he was suddenly more innocent, fragile… It was if the dark-haired gang member had completely taken ahold of Astral's once dominant side and locked in a closet.

"Astral, what happened?" He tipped his head to the side, watching the male look down at his socked feet. It was clear that he was hesitant at saying what was on his mind, which the schoolboy could understand entirely. "You know I'm here for you, you know that, right?" But as soon as he said that, Yuma felt his heart drop to his stomach as those golden eyes slowly became glossy.

In seconds, Astral was clinging to Yuma's front, accepting the firm hug around his quivering form. "I-I didn't mean to hurt h-him!" The student had never seen the A+ college student suddenly crumble away like this. It hurt him to see him like this at this point, and all he could do was hush him gently and keep him close. "I just wanted to m-make sure you're safe! Vector is always making you stay after at his place, a-and we both know that he and Black Mist are really close!" With a sniff, he continued, trying to compose himself. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

But even despite his words, Yuma didn't quite understand. "What do you mean? I mean, of _course _I'm safe with Vector. I trust him with every fiber of my being, despite how he's, y'know, a gang leader." How reassuring… Nevertheless, he listened to Astral speak and gradually calm down, his shoulders shaking only faintly.

"I…I wanted to stay home. To make sure you'd be able to eat and do your homework in peace…" But even Astral knew that Yuma didn't do his homework on a regular basis, but tried to make it easier all the same with a clean environment. "I didn't mean to make him angry…"

Finally, Astral pulled away, but the sight wasn't a pretty one. Never had Astral cried. Never did he scream, yell, gossip… He was the kind of person that was utmost loyal. Pure-hearted and rare to find. "Hey, maybe you should…take a nap for the night, okay?" Yuma laid a hand on his shoulder and Astral nodded with another sniff, clearly trying to regain his composure as quickly as possible. However, the duelist knew that it wasn't always easy for everyone and merely resented to rubbing the other's shoulder to comfort him as much as possible.

"Go ahead and take a nap, Astral. You deserve it, okay?" The white-haired male stared at his knees now, golden eyes glossy from tears as his hands were curled up tight on his knees. Yuma soon saw the faint nod from his roommate and for another few, long seconds, they embraced warmly before Astral got up.

"Good night…Yuma." Astral nodded faintly over his shoulder before heading upwards to his own room, Yuma soon smiling after him wearily. "G'Night Astral! Sleep well!" With that, he watched the other disappear down the corridor. The boy sighed and moved to lay on the couch but fell off as the feel off a cold item touched his stomach. Faceplanting with an incoherent mumble of cursewords, he soon felt the object hit his head, clearly having probably leaped after him once he accidently dived towards the floor. Wonderful.

Yuma sighed and grabbed the item, only to stare at the bright screen for a good while. With a smirk, he erased the text _I'm sorry, _and began typing to his heart's content.

"Yuma, I don't like this plan," Astral mumbled, suddenly incredibly sheepish.

Said boy turned around and away from the darkened alleyway, giving a thumbs up to his friend. "It'll be alright, Astral! We just gotta get through here and then we can check up on Vector! He should be home by now and everythin'!" Astral shook his head nervously, zipping up his hoodie to furthermore hide the box of chocolates he had made. The more he thought about it, the more his face became redder. Yuma didn't notice as he went right through the shortcut.

"Yes, but what if he's not alone?" Astral knew who exactly would be there, and the whole thought made his chest ache in despair and desire, something he had only felt when he had first met Black Mist. "By the way, have you seen my phone?"

Yuma, at first, had spun around again and came up with how everyone else was out drinking or partying for the night. That wasn't abnormal for sure but the way Yuma veered away from the fact that his phone was missing since yesterday night… Astral raised an eyebrow before he shook his head, soon clearly seeing the cellar doors up ahead.

It was locked with an iron lock, covered in chains that were practically impenetrable to anything. But Yuma had the extra key stowed away up just behind the Emperor's Key he always wore around his neck. With a click of the lock and turn of the key, the chains fell away like an octopus suddenly prying away from a ship's boards.

The two soon pulled it up together, forced to move fast unless they wanted to get splinters. As soon as those doors shut, the two were consumed by the dark, as if they had just walked into the mouth of a behemoth. Or a dungeon, one of the two was appropriate enough. "Astral, did you bring a—"

With a shake and a click, he answered Yuma's cut-off sentence. A beam of white light cut through the darkness, showing the large amount of steps leading downward towards the basement like area that the thugs lived in. "Vector said he'd be down and around here. Maybe we should split up and look for him?" Astral looked to Yuma so fast, one could've sworn he had nearly snapped his neck to do so.

"Say what?"

"You go that way, and I'll go this way! There's more light that way!" And Yuma suddenly bolted down the nearest pathway, leaving Astral both stricken with shock and maybe just a bit of loneliness. "Y-Yuma, w-wait!" Despite his stuttering words, Yuma was swallowed by the darkness faster than Astral could react. What the hell was Yuma doing!? With a shudder, Astral shined the flashlight around the whole area before shaking his head.

_I have to focus… _"Get it together, Astral. Just…just look for Vector." Surely that wouldn't be too hard. Surely. Trying door after door, some locked, others unoccupied, it was hard to tell where Vector _could've _been. Each room was almost alike, seeing as the Barians had the same thought-process of dominating this side of town in horror. Reaching a door at the end of the hall, Astral set his hand on the knob and turned it.

What surprised him was the fact that this room was incredibly inviting, but only a single candle was lit, showing off just one side of the bed that laid still in the room. This was definitely occupied and he frowned, shining the flashlight around slowly. "…Hello?" Just as he stepped in, the door slammed behind him with a brute force, and he could barely detect the click of a lock as the male spun on his heels.

In seconds, he had not only dropped the flashlight, but also the box of chocolates he had brought. Both clattered to the floor as someone snuffed out the light, hands pushing him onto the nearby bed with a force he knew by heart. Astral's brain went into overdrive and he immediately attempted to switch on his flight signal but the warm mouth on his own completely stopped him, hands running over his chest and then up his shirt. Cold fingers touched every ribbone there was to feel, causing a whine of uncomfort to spill from Astral's throat as he shuddered.

Those warm lips pulled away for a sheer second but moved against Astral's in a feverish movement. "I'm sorry too, goddamnit," Black Mist muttered, capturing Astral's lips within his own again before deciding to completely dominant his mouth. Astral's mind could barely register anything at this point as he gasped for air, quick to become a flustered moaning mess under the touch of the male above him. But those few words were all he needed as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders, his back arching at the feel of those cold fingers dipping below his waistline.

Vector listened down the hall for god-knows how long with Yuma in tow, not wanting to get too close to the door. They knew Black Mist had the senses of a damn wolf, so if they got too close, Hell would happen. "Think they made up?" Yuma asked, clearly unable to hear what Vector was.

The gang leader gave a crooked smirk before turning to look at Yuma, slipping a finger in one of the loops of the male's pants to bring their hips closer. He could feel Yuma's face become hot with embarrassment, even more so when he leaned down to lick at the shell of his vulnerable ear. "Want me to show you what's going on, Yuma~?"

Yuma didn't say no to that.

**(...I hope this satisfies your request. :'D If not, I can do another chapter~. This one was, I'll admit, pretty fun. xD)**


	9. Chapter 9

**(Asked by **Guest: **Where BOTH Astral and Black Mist are Yuma's duel spirit friends whom lost their memories, but end up finding a familiar card that lets them regain their memories)**

Neither one remembered a damn thing. At least, they didn't. The only one that continued to gather memories was Yuma Tsukumo. Honestly, the male was quite strange to both entities that happened to show up during the duel with Shark Kamishiro. The male himself was quite bold, and strong with his aquatic deck, filled with sharks that could make any aquaphobia lose their bowels right then and there. Black Mist was more surprised about it than Astral, even make a gesture towards Yuma's pants about. Said boy threw a few towards the invisible duo.

Despite their interesting friendship with the one who never gave up, days continued, some with Astral's observations calling it a day or the duels ending on a good note. But even so, it was also coming to their attention that their memories, though faded, were gradually coming back to their own minds. But there was one problem…

It was night time at this day and Astral was observing the vehicles that passed by silently down below, headlights on as the skyscrapers all around glowed majestically. It was quite a sight for those that had never been in a place full of twinkling lights, but despite the infinite amount of colors, he still found himself staring up at the sky. The place where he belonged, no? Surely Black Mist felt the same.

"You're staring at the sky again, Astral-kun~. Why so focused up there when there's nothing but lights?" Well, nevermind that question from before. Standing beside the light blue entity was his counterpart, a dark-skinned double with one of the most dangerous smirks he had ever witnessed. And hopefully, it would be the only one that made Astral's heart skip around like this. He looked to the snake-like male and managed a soft sigh through his nose, speaking directly and without hesitation. "Because that's where I feel most comfortable at, remember?"

Black Mist gave a chuckle before he let his lower half twist around Astral until they were face-to-face. Quickly, Astral became unnerved by this and fidgeted a bit. The things this one did was…incredibly unnerving, for lack of a better word, and the other knew it too as he got close to Astral's near emotionless face. "No, I don't, Astral. We need to find something else to be able to go, well, home~. After all, I haven't had the same visions as you have, with just one world dying off."

This caught Astral's attention and he jerked back as the coy male was whispering in his ear, that long tail keeping him still. "I have two~ worlds in my mind that happen to be collapsing without resistance. And look at us." A pair of hands settled on Astral's cheeks, and the male felt his breath stop for a good two seconds as the other continued on. "You are the light, while I am the darkness. Isn't it amazing?"

Like a finger had been snapped, Astral let the male's words sink into his skull and he panicked a bit inside. Two worlds…but they would be separated into different ones!? The surprise that flashed in those silver and gold orbs caught Black Mist off guard and a tug was signaled to his heart to embrace the other. He did just that, wrapping his slender arms around the supposed-to-be emotionless being.

Astral tensed up without warning, surprising even himself for a good moment. What…was Black Mist doing? This wasn't his usual self of casting torments towards him and Yuma for being goody-goodies. Slowly, the light blue male began to simply accept the embrace, letting his eyes close and accept the warmth that came from them both. It was quite, quite comfortable, but neither one would admit it as they gradually fell into the Emperor's key and slept there for the night. But in the morning, the question, 'Why?' would bug them until morning.

You know, when Yuma's alarm shrieked.

Once again, their days of dueling would begin again but, ever since that, Astral couldn't help but feel closer to the double at his side. Even the day that Astral nearly gave him a good smack when Yuma began to have friend problems with Tetsuo. Just what happened? Black Mist seemed to understand more than him, but, maybe he would find out later as to what got them off the wrong foot.

"Yuma… You might as well swallow your pride and speak with Tetsuo. Otherwise you'll end up like how Kotori said. With one less companion." Astral spoke in that incredibly defiant tone, thanks to the fact that Black Mist was currently residing in the key for now. Just what was he doing?

Yuma, on the other hand, made a noise and ran a hand over his face, soon pointing towards Astral. "Well, you know what, he can just take it first like a man!" And having walked through Astral, was Tetsuo, who had a really stone-cold face to wear in front of Yuma. Astral watched from the side, having disappeared from sight entirely to avoid any eye contact with Yuma.

Tetsuo stared at Yuma for a long moment then gradually began to turn around, meaty fists clenched tightly, perhaps to avoid hitting the young duelist. "H-Hey, Tetsuo, wait!" Yuma ran up to his friend and attempted to grab his shoulder, hoping to get his attention. He did, but in the worst way as the male swung around and swatted at Yuma. "Whoa, hey!" Yuma attempted to move back but to no avail, feeling the force push him away and even knock off the Emperor's Key that had been given to him from his father. And the item was where Astral and Black Mist stayed.

All three looked to it, Kotori wide-eyed and covering her mouth with her hands. The tension in the air was quickly attempted to be pushed away as Tetsuo spoke. "That's what you get for being mouthy!" Yuma gawked, clearly about ready to say something if the new sound hadn't caught his attention. Looking down to his left side, he jerked away from the sudden puddle of black that ended up pooling out of his deck, freely forming a familiar face.

"Black Mist!?" As soon as he said that name, he gradually began to realize something as Astral took his place right by the boy's side. Tetsuo and Kotori gawked at the form that came into view, who folded his arms and rolled his neck, his smirk the widest any of them had seen.

"Yes~?" he purred. "Oh? Why the confused faces at my name? Beginning to understand with me now?" Placing a hand over his heart, he dragged out a card that had been caught several days ago, but haven't thought a thing over it. Number 96: Black Mist. Astral choked, putting a hand to his throat as if he was suddenly suffocated. Hope glowed at Yuma from his deck, flashing incredibly brightly in a pure gold color. 96's card glowed back in a heavy scarlet, as if communicating with the Numbers card.

Astral furrowed his brow for a moment, trying to think…think… "You…are a Number Card…? Why…is that suddenly so familiar?" He put a hand to his forehead, feeling it throb with unreleased memories that remained impacted in his brain. It was beginning to hurt drastically, as if both Hope and Black Mist were trying to tell him something, something that was making his heart twist rapidly.

"Do you not remember, Astral? Look at me, Astral." Slowly, the male did so, only to be confronted by a fast-moving being that ended up directly in his face. The next words were whispered softly, a hand quickly caressing the male's cheek. "I hope you'll learn, my love, because we are more than just friends."

Astral opened and closed his mouth several times, like a fish out of water as he tried to find something to say. He was given no time as a strange pair of lips covered his own for a single second. In just that short amount of time, memories of their relationship came flooding back into his view. They were certainly something more than just companions, as they had fallen for each other. They had crossed different worlds to understand each other, to know one another, and even though they can't remember those worlds…they remembered the fight they had put up to fall to Earth together.

Yuma spoke, breaking off their concentration. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, you two…you two, like, LOVE each other!?" Without warning, Kotori was giving a giggle off to the side, unable to help herself. Astral flushed slowly and glanced to the side, clearing his throat. "I'll…tell you later, Yuma. But right now…apologize to Tetsuo."

Oh, right. Yuma heaved a sigh and glanced to his bigger friend, who was looking at him in return. This made the boy's throat close up considerably, causing his words to come out in an interesting mumble. "…I'm…I'm sorry, Tetsuo." Black Mist snickered at the boy's sudden shyness. Where'd all that talk go from before, he wondered.

"Yeah, me too." Tetsuo shared a smile with his best friend, moving to hold his hand out. Yuma brightened tenfold and accepted the offered hand, lightly laughing as they knew that this fight might not be their last, but it was just making them closer.

Astral let out a sigh, feeling his shoulders relax considerably. This fight was over, and not only that… A hand laced with his, causing him to look up quickly towards the dark-skinned male. The smirk turned into a charming grin, causing Astral to playfully roll his eyes and then glance downward towards the ground. "Well… happy are we?"

Black Mist chuckled and kissed his lover's temple, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, I am~."

**(Decided to have a little fun with this. If you're not satisfied, feel free to ask me again. Oh... Also. -Throws Finals out the window-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**(Asked by **No name 120: **Black Mist has always been a cruel sadistic man to Astral. Always belittling Astral with cruel words and scathing comments. So when he, Astral, hears Yuma say that Black Mist might do those things because he loves him...well he has to find out that's for sure.)**

Why was he not surprised? Once again, there was another message being sent to his phone as he messed with chemicals in the Institution of Science and Chemistry. It vibrated in his pants pocket, almost distracting him from the liquids he was carefully combining together. He knew who it was, or who it probably was, but he wasn't answering it at this time. For one thing, messing up combining chemicals was not the brightest of ideas, and checking a phone during work? Even worse. But that wasn't all. Astral would get many more of these messages later.

Despite his work hours in the chemical lab, the one that continued to text him clearly had nothing better to do with their life, and as it went on and on, he moved his thoughts other than his phone. Particularly chemical equations and the periodic tables. After a long while, that was when he was deciding it was fine time to go ahead and put everything up and record observations of color change.

He loved his job, as it was nothing easy and completely out of the ordinary for other things. Many didn't know how to work the chemical equations of finding the particle of an atom, or the amount of time it takes for signals to react within the human body. This was what he loved, the fact that he could expand his mind to record such improbable fractions and—

Astral glanced to his phone after a little bit and then shook his head, moving to go ahead and gather his things after a few more hours of work then head off for lunch, but once he sat down, his phone was out and he was texting his best friend. Yuma Tsukumo. He could really call the boy his colleague at anything but he was definitely a friend that he would die to have forever. After a moment of the dial tone and then several, occasional rings, the male on the other end picked up and spoke, his voice having changed quite a bit from the 14 year-old voice he so well remembered. The tone was obviously different and deeper than the past Yuma he still remembered.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, Yuma, it's me." Astral could've sworn that he _heard _the grin slip onto Yuma's face. It was a habit that they both had, grinning and knowing when the other did it.

"Hey, Astral! What'cha need? You sound like you've been going through some troubles. Got some wrong chemicals in the lab today?" Astral guessed he was waiting for something of the sort to happen, but he disappointed the male now, chuckling once then sighing.

"No, not today. Not tomorrow either." The male on the other end gave some acute to a low whine, causing Astral to roll his eyes before he continued. "But there's something I wanted to ask you… It's been plaguing me for quite some time."

Here, Yuma paused, setting down anything he had been holding for his own work at the archeologist's sight. "Let me take a good guess," he began, another smiling gripping his lips. "Is it about the Black Mist guy you've met since our highschool graduation party? The one with the slicked back hair, killer smile and hates your guts?"

It was a wonder how the male's friend was able to put it out just like that, without hesitation. "…Yeah. …That one."

Yuma sighed. "Astral, you've really gotta just ignore him. He's not worth your time. How often has he been bothering you?"

"Too often. I'm pretty sure he texted me at least five more times than last time. Which was yesterday." The rustle of a bag was heard by them both as Astral finally began to look through his neatly packed lunch. A tuna salad mixed with some old-fashioned chips and a large bottle of orange juice.

"…Soooo, 89 messages?"

"Nope. 96. His favorite number. For the love of God, he spray-painted it on one of my lab coats, and it took hours to wash it out." Remembering the time only brought a bitter taste to the chemist's mouth, which was soon having the delight of tasting a fresh bite of clean salad. However, he damn near choked on the plastic fork as Yuma's laughter exploded in his right ear, causing him to jump.

Astral tore out the fork before he could die on it. "For the love of God, what!?" Gradually, Yuma calmed down enough to speak, allowing the male to take a few more quick bites of his lunch before he could scare him again.

"I think he _likes_ you."

The college student groaned. "Please tell me you're kidding. Look, I know you've gotten close to Vector and everything, but I'm not looking for a sadistic partner in the slightest. Not only that, but he's butchering me to death with texts of threats, hoping I'll commit suicide and what not. There's no way he wants to even look me in the eyes unless I'm deader than a suffocated fish."

Yuma chuckled all the same then spoke once again, apparently getting back to work with a soft shut of his laptop. "Well, sometimes, you gotta think of it like this. When someone starts bullying you, they are either jealous or have no idea how to show their affections."

Astral pretty much had no idea how to respond to his best friend. After all, Black Mist was notorious for being second-in-command for one of the most badass gangs around the town, so if anything, it was a lure to Hell. "I'm just going to go and eat my lunch in peace. Take care, Yuma."

"Yeah, yeah. You too! Don't let the lab rats eat ya!" Astral rolled his eyes and hung up, giving him a good fifteen minutes before he had to go back to work. Surprisingly enough, it all slipped by incredibly fast. From lunch and onward, those last five hours became nothing but a breeze to get through. Probably because his mind was continuing to run through the recent events. His phone had stopped vibrating by this point in time, and he wasn't sure whether he was glad or not that the man had finally stopped bothering him.

Night came quickly and he had to get back home before he ended up in the dark on his way home. However, the more and more he thought about the possibility of the gang member liking him, he swore he felt his own face flush at the mere thought of it. Well, at least they weren't in the same college.

But there _was _something rather sexy about the gang member, and that was probably because of…because of what now? Maybe it was the way his hips moved. He had a cat-like grace to him and those golden eyes were even stranger as they were just like an all-seeing lion's. His hair was a perfect charcoal color but looked as soft as silk, but Astral probably wouldn't dare touch it.

Shutting the door behind him and locking it, seeing as he was the last one out, but as he did so, there was something knocking away at his brain as he thought about it more and more. What if the guy actually _did _like Astral? What if he really was doing it because he had no idea how to express his feelings?

Getting down the concrete steps, the white-haired male seemed to think over this more and more, nibbling his lower lip until it was beginning to feel raw. What was he to do? His hand instinctively reached into his pocket, feeling for the cellphone that was almost always there. Maybe he could call Yuma again, see what he had to say. But then again, what if he relied on his energetic companion too much? What would that do for him?

By the time the question popped into his mind like a pop quiz, he was already opening his phone. A wall of text messages came up and he did his best not to let his curiosity read through them. But at the very end, his mind grasped the last one and his eyes scanned it faster than his subconscious wanted him to.

_7:09: I see you. Frightened? _

Astral checked his phone time. 7:10.

His breath stopped so fast in his throat, he wondered if he had attempted to try and hiccup Mount Everest from his throat. Black Mist was right within his view, probably. As was he. Now, Astral was unsure if asking at this point in time would be good or not. …Probably not.

Slowly, the male began to spin about on his heels, trying his best to not look like he was fearing for his life. _There! _All alarms in his brain went off with a distinct screech as every muscle in his body froze at the sight of him. It had been a couple years since they had actually met up, and now Astral's heart felt as if someone just poured acid all over it.

The male was what even Astral would call strikingly gorgeous, and the way his stance was didn't help as it defined every shape in his abs, shoulders and his toned chest, proving he was more than what he seemed to be. His hair was a bit more unruly than ever before, but as he smoothed the loose strands back with a hand, the male didn't need to wonder what happened to his orientation. "Hello, Astral~."

Sweet, sweet silk swept over his ears and his stomach twisted into a series of backflips. Something that geometry wouldn't even be able to comprehend at the speed of light. A voice that could whisper sweet nothings in a low voice and make every woman faint. Hell, the scientist was well on the verge. But licking his lips, he regained his voice, which came out in more of an open croak than what he had originally planned. "W-Why?"

The dark-haired male simply tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. Astral held up his phone, flipping through the messages with his thumb to prove his point even further. "Oh~. Those little messages I gave you? I thought you didn't look at those, Astral~. You're always so busy and caught up in your work that you never know~. Besides, a few words won't hurt you, am I right?"

"That's not it," Astral hissed, setting his phone back into his pocket again. "I mean why are you doing it? …If you like me then just spit it out already, because I'm getting annoyed by it!" His throat closed up suddenly, as if warning him to not speak any further on the subject. But that was too late as Dark Mist's face gradually contorted into slow irritation then to fiery displeasure. Astral knew that what he said was probably too much and incredibly wrong. Shit.

"I saw how you looked at me just recently, Astral. I even remember out first meet-up. You stared at me, you know." One hand settling on his hip, the young adult began to make his way down the stairs, continuing to maintain that cat-like sway to his hips as he did so. "You know you want to come closer to me, more than what anyone has ever done before. I keep you up at night, don't I? And let me guess as to why that is. Because I'm the bad boy no girl could get her hands on, the snake that happened to go anywhere that he pleased."

Every word made him come closer to the scientist, who began to fidget where he stood and gradually began to retreat. "Don't think you can escape me, Astral. Because I know your every route~." That just proved the other was stalking him, but was all of this nonsense really because the other actually had feelings? "And I'm making sure you go 'nowhere' without me."

That was Astral's cue to tear ass out of there. His heart was hitting his chest at an irregular pace, and he knew that the other was flat on his heels. Astral began to weave around every other obstacle he could as he took a detour towards the construction zone and alleyways. Lab coat snapping at the back of his legs, he kept running, even with the horrible pain of a sidestitch stabbing at his ribcage without any remorse.

Turning around the nearest corner, he practically dove towards the brightly lit streets, running over the flat asphalt and then straight home. Whipping his keys out from his pocket, he fumbled with the golden one for a single second on the doorstep, breathing heavy and his heart going at an impossible speed. Hearing the click of the lock as he turned his wrist, he shoved himself in and then slammed the door shut with a feverish movement. Twisting his wrist to lock it again, he rested his back against the door and heaved out a sigh, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

Sweat had accumulated on the back of his neck and along his palms, which were shaking now. He hadn't had that much exercise in a couple months and now he was damn near flat on the floor because of it. It took him a good five minutes to catch all of his bearings before he stood up, hearing no sounds aside from the vehicles outside.

Gradually, Astral removed his lab coat and set it on the coat rack before heading upstairs, knowing that sleep was probably impossible, but he needed to at least try. It was late enough and he had no homework troubles for the day. Nor week, for that matter. Opening the door to his room, he watched his fingers quiver still before he changed, at least removing his shirt as an elbow turned on the light.

Astral's room was incredibly tidy, neat and well-spaced. He was proud of his own décor and cleanliness, so he had no problems with moving around. Tossing the shirt lightly into the hamper, he caught a glint of red from the corner of his eye. Jumping damn near sky-high, the male spun around, wondering if Black Mist had somehow managed to get into his room. But alas, there was just something odd about his room that stood out from the cool colors.

Sitting on his white-painted windowsill was a red rose, tenderly wrapped in black silk. His heart stammered again for the millionth time this night and he moved over to it. The window was cool, inviting to his sweaty form, keeping him comfortable as the rose was picked up. It was beautiful, fresh and real. And clearly from his pursuer from earlier. Had he planned everything up until now?

Astral settled the rose to his lips and inhaled deeply, soon glancing out over the streets to see if both the sight and the smell would help him. Instead of noticing just lights, he saw a familiar face watching him, a smirk on their face. Black Mist moved a hand to at least wave at the scientist, who flushed madly in two seconds flat at how exposed he was before shutting the curtains. Even as Astral took a step away from the window, he heard the cackle of the male from outside.

Moving his phone from his pocket, he texted quickly, for the first time, to Black Mist, keeping the rose under his nose.

_I hate you._

Two seconds later. _I love you too~_

Astral flushed but rolled his eyes, getting ready for bed at this point. He guessed Yuma was right. For now.

Black Mist was unsteady in highschool. Hell, in fact, he hated it. It was snowing here, and the male was not normally one to wear warm clothing. Walking home was the biggest treat he ever had. Hint the sarcasm there. The snow was gently kissing his black hair, outlining every dip, curl and spike that happened to be hiding in the charcoal color.


	11. Chapter 11

**(Asked by **aothebluesamurai: **Astral is a new foreign exchange student and has the same classes as Black Mist)**

The smell of mingling cologne and perfume wasn't exactly intoxicating. It was more like a suffocating substance that could've probably been burning his nostrils the minute he stepped into the highschool. He could taste it in the back of his throat, even more so as he walked past a group of girls that were slipping into Chemistry class, being stereotypical with lots of jewelry, chewing gum, and wearing the shorts that clearly attracted more than enough eyes.

Speaking of eyes, they were scattered across his body, and he could feel every pin-prick of questions and criticism that dotted every bit of his skin, both covered and exposed. Ignoring those stares, the newcomer flicked his paper out in front of him, keeping a slender hand on the bag that stayed over his left shoulder and dragged down to his knee. His schedule was easy to read in the fluorescent lights, allowing him to look up only seldom to check for his room number of 201. Biology. That wasn't too hard.

Slipping into the room wasn't as easy as it sounded. The male was shy, someone new and unsure of what to do with a new place and horde of skeptical faces. That was exactly what he saw right off the bat as he watched almost every student shut up and look to him. These faces were polished, clean and sharp, unlike his own that was rather dollish from constant pampering of his mother.

"You must be the new student." A nasal voice caught his attention and he looked to one side, peering at a short but composed young woman. She was a bit rounded at the waist and belly, which somehow suited the pug-nose she happened to support. Thanks to that, her glasses fit well, nevertheless. "Class," she began, suddenly standing beside the pale boy. "This is Astral. He just recently joined our school, so please treat him with respect."

Astral felt the back of his neck prickle with anxiety and a slap of fear, causing every hair on the back of his neck stand upright for a good second. A smile cracked across his face before he managed a faint bow from his shoulders. "It is a pleasure to meet my first class—"

"Where did you come from? The sewers?" That question was clearly meant for the male, who looked up rapidly to eye a sneering face in the crowd. Why was he not surprised? A giggle from around the class made a heat spark upward into his cheeks, which was clearly highlighted by his angled cheekbones. "You smell like a French whore was all over you."

A loud clap of a ruler made Astral jump, nearly dropping his paper as his head darted to look at the pudgy teacher. "Matthew, if another word comes out of your mouth, I'm sending you to the office!" Said male merely managed a snort and gave a sarcastic shrug, feigning worry about being sent up to the well-polished room with school officials. But as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, the teacher was clapping her ruler again against an empty desk. "Not another word! Astral, please, find a seat."

In a heartbeat, Astral watched the students all scoot back away from the only desk that was left. The one in the top left corner of the room, next to the window and clearly able to be seen by the teacher. Obviously, no one would have wanted a desk like that, but for Astral, it was pretty close to perfect as he sat down quickly, not wanting all eyes to be on him.

With that, the class started without another moment of hesitation, and gradually, all eyes moved away from the pale form of the foreign exchange student, who was taking notes like wildfire. Perhaps he was the stereotypical one now? It didn't matter at this point. He had just come in the middle of the year, specifically right after Thanksgiving Break for American's. It was cold, so this left him wearing whatever he could over his thin body and finals? They were coming up, but according to the schoolboard, his testing was his finals. Were American's really so inadequate at schoolwork that they were supposed to take more than just a single final?

Five minutes was left of class, and Astral began to notice of something as soon as he was able to set down his pencil. Something was off in his brain and he began to fidget a bit before glancing over his shoulder. Someone was looking at him and just who was it? A pair of golden eyes met his own, and for a good minute, he simply stared. Those irises were gorgeous but, they held poison that he felt he was beginning to swallow it was so thick.

Tearing his gaze away, Astral glanced back down to his notes and hurriedly began to put everything up, swearing he heard a voice echo in the back of his mind about how much of an idiot he was for staring in the first place. Astral may have been the last one in, but he was definitely the first one out as the bell screamed in his ears.

Next class was Calculus. Not exactly simple mathematics but could still be understood under plenty of studying and tutoring in after-hours. Here, this place was a bit more relaxed, sociable, and the teacher was now a man with a steady frame. He had a few missing teeth, therefore making him speak with a low-tuned whistle, but he was incredibly friendly, perhaps an ex-comedian.

Once more, Astral began to take notes on whatever he needed to know, calculator out and his fingers nearly getting an uncomfortable ache from scribbling on notebook paper for a good five minutes straight. Without warning, a hand slipped up the back of his shirt, tracing every vertebrae of his spine with cold fingers. Astral arched his back away from those cruelly cold fingers before clearly smacking the hand that dared to even touch the new kid.

Visible irritation crossed the pale male's face before he attempted to relax again, scribbling something down so as to not fall behind in the class. He kept this up until homework was passed out, his wrist aching once again. Again, eyes were on him, but he preferred that than the hand that happened to just greedily linger near his shoulder. The person sitting behind him was clearly dying to practically throw a hand down Astral's warmer neck. At the thought, Astral brought his collar up on his jacket a bit better before watching the teacher excuse himself from the room.

"One second class. I need to get some printed papers from the other end of the hall." With that, he had stood up and marched out of the room, causing the foreign student to raise an eyebrow. Was he really going to leave the class alone with a supervisor? Just like that?

It wasn't surprising that the class began to talk lowly to each other, not really focused entirely on their homework as they either yawned and rested, chatted with one another, or began to use their phones for games. Unlike the male behind him who ran his fingers over the nape of his neck as if it was casual Sunday.

"!" Astral ducked his head down under the collar of his jacket and spun around in his seat, narrowing his gold eyes for a single, solid second at the student behind him. He swore he felt ice just cling to his own heartstrings and pull, making him sit stock still and feel his heart bounce right into his throat. Those honey eyes again! The ones that he had met up with in Biology class. The only difference was that they were a lot closer now. It was to the point that Astral could detect that sticky amusement.

"Jumpy, aren't you?" the dark-haired beauty purred, lips curling upward perfectly into a smirk. Astral's mouth became dry in an instant, making it hard for him to speak as he swallowed quickly. "Y…Yes, particularly because you keep touching me. I prefer that you didn't." The exchange student didn't waste time in speaking his mind. After all, it was the best way to get his point across.

The cupid's bow on the male's lips merely bowed upward a bit more on the right side, causing Astral to shudder and soon dart back around to stare at his paper, pencil tapping the 1. on the first equation. "Why are you ignoring me, Astral? Huh? Afraid I'll sick half of the school on you for being a little foreign boy? I will if you don't listen to me." That velvet voice… _Intoxicating. _Astral shuddered again but hid his goosebumps a bit better this time.

"I'm working. Leave me alone." Blunt answer. Something he figured he was probably going to need in this school. There were people here he didn't like, and it was going to be hard to just be left alone, he could tell. The door opened just as a growl of irritation echoed behind him, causing him to give the grand excuse of jumping up and walking over to the teacher that had just re-entered. "Sir, can you help me with question 3? I'm not quite sure on it."

Astral spent the rest of the period looking over the wording of the English language and asking the teacher to go over some of the lessons again. Not once did he sit down, and he and one of the first ones to exit the class. Again. But gradually, he began to notice a pattern in his entire day. Where he went, there was that _guy _there, staring at him with those golden orbs that practically made him stop in place. But..why?

There was a threat in just the way he whistled, moved his own hips and stared at him. Astral was curious as to what would happen if he really ticked off the other but, then again, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to even say hello again. Screw that. The only time Astral hadn't seen him was in the lunch room, seeing as the newcomer had decided to pack his meal that day. And this would remind him of doing that every. Single. Day. Meeting with _him _in the lunch line didn't sound that appealing to him in the slightest.

Word caught around to him from people he had met up with in the area, saying that the guy that kept bothering him was Black Mist, a student that was known to be able to control half of the school with either money or just by frightening them. Not only that, he was the leader of a nearby gang off in the streets, known for excellent thieving skills and constant harassment of anyone that attempted to get on their bad side. Astral couldn't help but frown over the whole ordeal as he stared out the window of the library. The bell had already rang for school to be out of session, but the male had stayed, due to wanting some extra study hours at a quiet place.

Study time went to gaze-outside-for-a-few-hours' time. Thinking of that made him sigh before he glanced down to the numerous study books in his arms, eyeing the recent Shakespearean book he had grabbed at for luxury purposes. _Macbeth_. A tragic and familiar tale that he had read a couple years back, but didn't understand it until now. Or so he thought. Might as well give it a shot, otherwise he would end up lacking any quiet time to himself amongst thousands of more interesting words.

Running a thumb over the leather-bound cover, he began to slowly turn and walk out of the area, but felt himself walk right into another wall, causing a gasp to slip through his lips. His fingers fumbled for the books that quickly fell from his hands, causing him to look directly down and kneel to save them from dog-eared wrinkles. "S-Sorry, sorry! I wasn't looking as to where I was going!" _Macbeth _landed on a polished shoe, and Astral was quick to retrieve the item right off the bat. As peeled the book away, a sudden tremor of realization hit his stomach and he found himself moving a bit faster.

There was only one man around here that would wear something like that, and the familiar scent of musky cologne had all of his senses suffocating right there. However, it was also a scent he wanted to breathe in forever, the kind that was both pleasant yet enough to probably make your brain neurons go haywire. Collecting all books up in his slender arms, Astral moved to stand and keep his head low, attempting to do his best at getting around this all-too-familiar entity.

A hand snatched his shoulder in a second and threw Astral against the nearest wall. Once again, those books hit the floor, but not before Astral felt all of his breath leave his chest. That hand moved to wrap around his throat, keeping him pinned to the wall and struggling for air. With his lack of oxygen, the most he could do was claw at the hand that held him.

"Awh~, look at you. Does it hurt to breathe, Astral?" Out of defense, said student spat in the face of the male that cornered him, pleased to see the other reel away quickly. Air rushed back into his lungs as he darted off to the side, nearly tripping as he did so. He had to get away! The saliva had connected right into the male's eyes like a perfect bulls-eye, but now he was given just enough time to dart under the tiny desk the librarian normally stayed at. It was a hell of a fit, but Astral made it by stuffing himself right into the small crevice.

A chill coiled down his spine as Black Mist's voice sang into the room, as cold as ice and filled with an almost agonizing amount of displeasure, to where it even made Astral shift uncomfortably. "Oh~ _Astral~_, where are you~? I know you're still in here, because I didn't hear the door shut." Soft footsteps on carpet grew near and far, forcing the pale student to strain to hear. He knew he was taking his sweet smile, peering through the books and every crack that happened to exist in this place. For now, Astral knew the chair would hide him for a certain amount of time, but maybe if he dragged those stack of books over.

Reaching out was against all possible odds as he heard hands slam on the desk above him, causing his heart to lurch into his throat. "You can't hide forever. You and I both know that. Just what makes you think you'll be capable of keeping your pretty face away from my own?" Astral held his breath, wanting to pay his soul to the Devil just to sink deeper into the carpet as he hid his face in his hands, feeling his fingertips quiver. Was the male was so pissed off that he would probably kill him after this? Make him a pet? Throw him somewhere? The thoughts came pouring in one by one, and Astral was unsure of what would happen next.

After some time, he noticed that the footsteps had faded off into the distance and for a long while, Astral sat there, knees quick to cramp up from having them bent in such a position for so long. Warm air tickled the back of his neck after a moment, causing him to flinch and then steal a glance behind him through pale fingers.

_Oh… _Astral felt his heart rate subside almost instantly before he buried his covered face in his knees. _It was just the furnace. Just the furnace… _Slowly, he soon peeled his hands away from his face to glance out just a bit. Couldn't hurt, right? Astral shrieked as a face appeared right in front of his, grinning like a maniac. The foreign exchange student pressed himself against the small space as best as he could, watching Black Mist's grin grow ever wider in amusement. "My, my~. The fact you were able to squeeze yourself into this small space is incredibly surprising. But, then again, if you had thought better, you would've realized that you can't leave now~."

Astral knew why, too. The space was small and perfect for someone to hide in such as himself, but the only problem was that it was hard to get out and there was someone blocking his way. The exact person he was trying to hide from. "Regret ticking me off now? Well, you're too late in apologizing!" A hand of ice grabbed at his wrists without a single moment of hesitation, causing the male to gasp and forcefully attempt to pull away. No such luck. Black Mist might have been as lanky as him, but there was…just no way…

Astral shut his eyes tight, looking away without a second thought. "If you're going to do something, you might as well make it quick." As soon as those words left his mouth, he knew the other was only going to prolong it, and Astral was bracing himself for as much pain as possible. Silence filled up his ears, all the way down to his flipping stomach which practically hit his heart as a cool hand firmly grabbed Astral's chin, making him look right where Black Mist was.

"You know I'm going to take my time in this, Astral~," the male murmured, his voice a low purr in his chest. "So you'll just have to enjoy it as much as possible." Said male gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by a soft mouth on his own. His eyes snapped open and immediately his vision was filled with the other's yellow eyes. Astral could've sworn his heart melted as his face flushed fast, Black Mist tugging him out of the desk's crevice to pin him to the floor and straddle him, tipping his head a bit more to the right to increase the friction of the kiss.

Astral's mind was on overdrive, his own response to the kiss slow, clearly being a first. They both knew this and the gang member smirked, letting his eyes flutter shut, much to Astral's surprise. However, he too did the same, his heart attempting to practically win a marathon in his chest. He had never experienced this before, and what gave the other the idea to just kiss the new student on the first day? Slowly, gradually, none of that began to matter as the other's musky smell engulfed the student, like a poisonous gas, encouraging them both to loosen up the bad patterns of that day and simply indulge into the kiss.

It felt like hours to Astral before the other pulled away, leaving the boy breathless and still tasting the other's tongue along his lips. His eyes opened and he was engulfed in gold once again, the color coated with satisfaction and triumph. But also distinct curiosity. "Quite a newbie, aren't you, Astral~?" The flush of embarrassment and modesty came back to stain the male's face and he glanced to the side. Black Mist chuckled and then became playful, taking a quick lick at the student's neck, who jumped.

"I'd love to stay and chat, Astral~, but I've got things to do. Here's my number~." Without warning, the male slipped a hand into Astral's pocket, causing the boy to nearly jump out of his skin. Those fingers were almost too close to simply going under his belt. "If you want anything else, just text me~." And he spun on his heel without a second thought and walked out of the library.

Astral heard the door shut, allowing him permission to slowly sit upright and touch his swollen lips, tasting strawberries and licorice. Bittersweet. "…Huh. I suppose this is now a game… A game of Cat and Mouse."


	12. Chapter 12

**(** DarkInsanitySoul: **Coffee Shop AU. Black Mist being younger and Astral being older. Black Mist has a crush on Astral but is oblivious to the fact that Astral likes him back, so Astral confronts Black Mist.)**

Why was he so perfect at everything? Honey colored eyes stared intently into the steaming, Styrofoam cup between his cold fingers, watching the extra sugar on top slowly fall between the many layers of chocolate. Taking in a quick breath, he blew cool air over the top before moving to stir it with a plastic and tiny straw. His thoughts were completely out of the warm café around him and those eyes soon looked outside at the gathering amount of snow on the wet roads, as white as _that _man's hair. …White as virgin snow…

Feeling his heart twist in his chest, he soon sighed through his nose out of defeat and complete wonder. What made that college student so perfect? Was it the same color of his pretty gold orbs? His intelligence? Or maybe it was the way he talked? The older male had a wonderful way of talking through any bad situation and his voice was incredibly tender, sweet, exactly everything Black Mist was attracted to. The college student was admitting something like that, at least outloud.

One hand began to mindlessly stir the black straw in his cup, hearing the small scraping sounds on the bottom of the stryofoam cup. It was a comforting sound, because only he could hear it, really, and it was background noise with the bitter wind outside and the warm Christmas carols that echoed in the back of the kitchen and near the Class 1 spots.

Shaking his head, he soon moved to pick up the cup between slowly-warming fingers and take a sip. The ring of the bell by the door made him glance up for a moment and he not only burned his tongue but succeeded in nearly having a choking fit in shock.

_What the hell is he doing here!? _Even though it was a café, just how much luck did he have when it came to having some hot guy sneaking up on him in the same damn area? Pale skin and white hair were easily visible in the warm colors of the shop and Black Mist could've sworn he was able to trace out the blood vessels in his cheeks. His neck was covered by a thick, rather rich-looking scarf, but he knew that this angelic male possessed the throat of someone who had never been into any sexual activity. And lo and behold, perched under his arm were several thick textbooks of Chemistry II, Advanced Calculus and Periodic Formulas.

The boy managed a scoffing noise, but was quick to regret it as the walking male looked at him with a skeptical glance. Black Mist felt every shred of his dignity be eaten by those knowledgable eyes and he looked back down into his cup, hoping that the light of the snow from the window would hide his flushing face. Without wasting another second, he looked up just as soon as Astral began walking over to the countertop to order a drink and food, no doubt.

Gold eyes looked down into that swirling hot cocoa, feeling that numbing, fiery sensation lingering on the tip of his tongue still. That college student didn't give a living _damn _about him, and his ego would just get in the way about how he was too much of a rebel to keep up with highschool. But Astral wouldn't like that, would he? Black Mist would just be a little low-life.

He squeezed the cup tightly between his hands for a solid second, enough to hear the somewhat satisfying pop of the cup. Why, oh, why did he have to love that man? Without a second thought, the schoolboy down the hot drink and tossed it in the nearest trashcan, feeling his entire go numb to the burn. The sugar had barely settled, so all he could taste was literally wet and hot cocoa stabbing at the back of his tastebuds. Without another word, he stormed out and ever so faintly brushed the arm of the college student. Just from that, he could smell the sweet scent of vanilla and old text books.

"Just get home, Black, just get home…" Head down, he ignored the bitter wind as he wrapped his slender arms around his form. Honestly, this wouldn't have bothered him as much as it should have. Probably because halfway home, he remembered his jacket was still in his seat. Wallet, notes and phone in all his pockets. Oh how he could have _killed _someone right then and there. However, the poor boy only sighed and put his head down further, tucking his chin into his neck as snow graced his cheekbones and right along the cuff of his ear. Maybe he'd just ask to borrow Victor's extra bed for the day.

Looking skyward for a moment, he soon flinched at the snowflakes that kissed his lashes, causing him to blink and watch them hang there almost stubbornly. "Nn? Oh, so the _snow_ gives me more attention than that white-haired bastard. Go figure."

"What white-haired bastard?" All that fire in the male's stomach was snuffed right out, his anger clearly having been put up in a bottle somewhere over the goddamn rainbow. Same with the fire in his mouth. He turned around and tried to stand tall immediately, cringing as the warmth in his body left every crevice he now left exposed. Curse his bloody ego. "Surely you don't mean me, Black Mist."

Said boy sniffed irritably and folded his arms firmly over his chest, putting up a brave face against the intelligent college student. "So what if I do? What will you do, call the cops on me?" However, sitting nice and quaint in Astral's arms was a black, cheap jacket, as if it had been pulled out from a "Lost and Found" box. It was dusted with snow but seemed fine, and as the male adjusted his footing, he could hear a faint rustle of both fabric and crumple of notes.

"No. I will take measures into my own hands," the taller male stated, soon moving to extend his arm and hold out the jacket. "I just thought'd might want that, since you seem cold." Obviously you couldn't hide from a really observant person. Hell, he worked in a chemistry lab, for God's sake. A slight shade change could set off alarms in his head. In defeat, Black Mist managed a sigh between cold lips before he moved to grab it.

Just as his fingers brushed the fabric, Astral had dropped the item with just a small turn of his hand, letting it drop onto the sidewalk in a small flurry of snow. Stunned, the schoolboy stood there for a moment, hand outstretched still, long enough for the older male to grab it and tug him right into Astral's chest. As soon as the younger boy hit the newfound warmth, he felt his face flushing so darkly he resembled a tomato with a rotten stem. Wonderful. But it was so warm!

"I knew you were cold, Black Mist. You could have just asked." Astral let his jacket wrap around the shivering male, who soon let his slender arms wrap around Astral's mid-section. Black Mist was soon letting his face bury into the college students chest, wondering if the heat was from his face or the other's body.

"…It's not like I can fucking ask a strange," he muttered, glancing up soon enough out of curiosity. His heart malfunctioned in his chest as a pair of lips met his own, soft and clearly covered in a soft hint of strawberry chapstick. Astral himself had seemed surprised, seeing as he was only attempting to kiss the top of his head to comfort him, but he supposed this worked if the other began flushing to a dangerous degree.

Black Mist wondered if his heart would flutter out of his chest as he soon pulled away, able to feel his fingertips again. "Did…you… Since when…?" That small smile on Astral's face made his heart melt to his toes, and he was quick to wrap his mind around what was going on. "You…aha, you don't actually like me, do you?"

Astral's smile grew just a bit more before he kissed the male's forehead. "Can my answer be "Let me buy you another cup of hot cocoa?"" Full of riddles and rhymes this man was but Black Mist was quick to nod, moving away to pick up his coat. "Sure, I can go for another~."


	13. Chapter 13

**(** Stellaskia: **how about Astral being a lawman and Black Mist his colleague? (like Wax and Wayne in "The Alloy of Law" by Brandon Sanderson)**

"Now you're just being a hard-head, Astral." The whisper of his companion made the male roll those golden eyes ever so lightly before they were focusing on the nearby patrol between the wooden, rotten boards of the broken-down entrance. There was just enough moonlight filtering through to aim that double-barreled shotgun… The white-haired male shifted his footing ever so faintly, hearing his heartbeat as he felt the pebbles of gravel slip between every notch and crevice in his boots.

"It's not about being hard-headed, Black Mist," he muttered, letting his eyes peek through the scope. "It's about being _right._" A slender finger pulled back into the trigger and two bullets shot off right into the air, whistling silently with the help of the explosive _bam! _from the gun. The target spun around just as the bullets made their mark, right in the prefrontal cortex and into the temporal lobe. The bullets lodged into the sulci and the iron spread about into the fluid of the brain, ripping through the other side of the skull to let the blood spray along the security camera.

Black Mist kept talking in a low tone as they wasted no time to scale the poorly barricaded entrance frame. "Yes, but you are not always right. Really, you need to come back into the law enforcement because they're ripping my ass to get yours back in!" Feet hit the gravel-sprinkled concrete and they took off into the old museum. "And this is the fourth time I got threatened with my paycheck!"

The white-haired and retired lawman danced along the glass shards from the broken chandelier above, trying to keep their soles and heels quiet on the somewhat uprooted marble flooring. The reconstruction was clearly slow, seeing as only some of the furniture was taken out and they were here because there was a mafia meeting just above the second floor. Near the rooftops.

"Well maybe, if they actually got up off their backsides and did something about the law itself, then I would come back. But their own choices threaten the society. How many times do we have to go through this?" Ducking down low among the stairs, he let his colleague check the warm corpse, fishing in his pockets of his coat, pants and even the chest pocket in the now blood-dyed button down. After some time, there was a jangle of metallic, clearly being keys up to the upper floors. Black Mist tore up the stairs, only turning around once to hiss a few words. "Enough times to where you can help me get my paycheck back up a good fifty or so dollars!"

Astral seemed to raise an eyebrow in sheer amusement and bewilderment at the other's words before he followed suit, keeping himself low and knees bent like a crab. Thank God he didn't have arthritis. Otherwise he'd be having one hell of a time. Astral's trench coat, 90% cotton and 10% polyester, rustled behind him like a small cape as he followed the male before him, who was being wary of the crooked tiles, precariously hung utensils and other ligaments of machines that happened to sway in whatever nonchalant breezed that came through.

Getting up the next flight proved more challenging as there were plenty of taught wires and cables and not enough clear pathway. "So, anyway around this, great lawman?" Black Mist spoke with a sarcastic tone as he soon folded his arms, looking to his companion who seemed to obviously be thinking. There were cables everywhere on the steps, and if one was stepped on, then it would cause a whiplash and either end up throwing the person over the side of the stairs or chop off their foot. One of the two, and Astral didn't quite prefer either one.

Without warning, a shine came to the male's eyes, causing the colleague to get a rather bad feeling in the pit of his gut. "We can't shoot them, you know!" However, much to his surprise, the other shuffled back to where they had come from with his feet, watching glass kick up at the end of his shoes. Each one was sharp, perfect for cutting anything, probably even bone if one really tried hard enough.

"I'm not going to shoot one, per se, Black Mist. One could say I'm just diverting the…attention of the snake." Slender fingers picked up the glass shards carefully, allowing the tiny ones to remain in his palm while the bigger slices remained between his fingertips. "You might want to—" He paused, watching the dark-haired male step back fluidly without a second thought. Looks like he knew what the other was trying to hint at and he had no choice. It was either be cut, chopped or knocked over if he didn't move. Astral chuckled, shaking his head before throwing a shard with his free hand.

The arch was a perfect one but the shard missed by a good few inches. Black Mist snorted. Astral looked to him with a raised eyebrow, clearly able to see the amusement in his shoulders. He knew the other figured he wouldn't make it, probably not even on his second or third try. He may have been a lawman but he was no head-shot all the time.

After the third missed shot, Black Mist plucked the last shard away from his fingertips. "H-Hey!" Black Mist held up a hand and then threw the shard like he was skipping stones. It bounced off the step and just as Astral was about to retort about his failure, it cut a chord, bounced from the whiplash and then cut the next one until they were prying away from the steps and hanging towards the ground floor. The little shard hit the top with a clink, finally cracking. Black Mist turned and bowed before he frolicked up the steps.

Astral kept his mouth down, clearly agape and in shock that the colleague had been able to just do _that_. "Coming~?" Ohhh, now he was as smug as a rat, grinning with a confident sway to his refined hips. The ones that Astral loved so much. Shaking his head, he made his way up the steps with care, keeping his footsteps silent, considering the snapping cables had made clicking and whiplash noises. Hopefully, they attracted no one.

Keeping their heads high and their senses alert, they went up another flight just before Astral grabbed Black Mist's shirt and tugged him down so fast he almost nicked his chin on the steps. Conversation echoed from the walls like a tiny cafeteria, allowing them to hear as they drew their guns.

"Are you certain that the lawman is the one causing all of the ruckus? I know some of the policemen are lazy in this area, but this doesn't mean one man can act alone." Black Mist sniffed in irritation, seeing as he was clearly not mentioned on the list of the mafia's wanted. "I'm sure." Another voice. Sounded almost Scandinavian. "The actually crime solvers were unable to even smell us out, except for one. They located Thomas right off the bat."

"Hm… How true." Astral looked around from where they were on the steps with Black Mist, trying to scan for anything they could use. Poking his head from around some marble décor, he let his eyes widen at the size of the place _and _the people. A good fifteen, maybe more if there were some rather short people. They were all dressed nicely, particularly business suits, dress coats and formal button-ups. They fit the rather run-down yet rather fantastic room up here. He didn't know what it was used for, but he didn't need a history lesson now.

Astral laid out now idea as to what was on his mind as he dived up the steps silently and then dived behind the nearest piece of machinery that was available. It hadn't been secure in the slightest. As soon as he touched it, the entire thing teetered and then successfully got the attention of the entire crew. Astral knew because of the facepalming motion of his companion and the click of a gun.

Snapping his shotgun into his hand, he turned around the glass-flaked machine and shot at the chain that remained connected to the swinging chandelier. The metallic snap of the chain was the cue. "Black Mist, window, east side, now!" Both bolted across the cracking floor, hearing the piece sink into both flesh and the worn marble. The mafia crew screamed and shot bullets wildly, causing one to ricochet off the splitting floor and hit the thigh of Black Mist, who stumbled once and nearly somersaulted out of the window.

Catching the edge, his breath lost him as he looked down, staring at the river water a good three stories down. He did _not _need that, so he sucked up the pain of the bullet and followed Astral's lead of hiding right along the wall, gripping the gritty bricks behind him. "Black-!"

"I'm fine! Go, go! Get down!" Black Mist moved to leap right in front of the window and the dart to the opposite side, going to climb down immediately. Astral swallowed with a dry mouth, watching his leg bleed before he followed down, climbing carefully from foothold to foothold until they both dropped onto the dumpster top and rolled into the Employee's Only fencing of where the generator was.

Two minutes later, Black Mist was gnawing on his arm as he felt the wrapping of Astral's sleeve wrap around his thigh. He had gotten lucky, as the bullet had left his leg but he still had to heal a lot longer due to that. In the meantime, they had witnessed the entire falldown of the top floor. It was unknown how many of the mafia got out, but the chandelier had broken plenty of bones of necks, for sure.

"There. That should work out for you. You'll have to limp back to work though, otherwise you're going to be a bit on the wrong side of the day." Black Mist grumbled towards the lawman before he slowly got up, feeling pain pulsating through his leg. Astral rolled his eyes before he moved to help the other up into a sitting position.

"I know, I _know._ Good Lord, do you not shut up? And do you also realize that my ass is going to become busted now too?"

"Black, you were wilting at the fact that you weren't mentioned as someone wanted. Don't give me tha—"

"Oh shut up, for once with your stupid facts." Black Mist leaned forward and caught the other's lips in his own, causing Astral to, truly, shut up. It was short-lived as he pulled away, quick to ruffle the colleague's hair.

"You know you can't, you know. Good luck trying when I watch your boss chew you out tomorrow."

"Ugghhh…"


	14. Chapter 14

**(I decided to combine two requests, actually. **Ryu-Ran 2200: **Can you please make a chapter about Astral and Black Mist hating each like in the anime at fist then having feeling for one another by the end?**

Shadougelover14: **Maybe Dark Mist having Astral pinned and toying with his physical reactions, treating it like a game?)**

Astral wasn't sure what was going to bug him more this night. It wasn't Yuma's snoring. No, he had gotten used to such obnoxious noises. What made him think for long periods of time were two things. One of them was Kaito, a Numbers Hunter with an ambition to strangle anyone who would get in his way. His ideas and plans were unknown. The second one was Black Mist, another side of Astral, it seemed, as he had clearly manifested not only out of his own Numbers card, but had ended up taking the astral entity's shape. He was a coy male, who had the smile of a snake. Plans were to make everyone's life miserable, apparently.

The see-through entity was gazing up at the sky tonight upon Yuma's rooftop, watching the sky remain open and warm enough to see the city stars. They were like little beacons of hope, to some, but to others, they were eyes of something beyond human sight, something dangerous and probably incomparable to human machines. Yet, as he looked and watched, he felt strangely at home. At peace.

Flashes of his memory made him close his eyes, rather tightly, as if it would make them go away. But they kept coming. Explosions. Screaming. It all left him in a rather unhappy, staring coma that Yuma never seemed to have minded. Perhaps he was being too mindful of the situation, but, then again, that was a place he needed to go, needed to remember… Just like how Yuma needed to always keep his father in mind.

The Emperor's Key was an important reminder of that to both human and messenger. Sucking in a slow breath, Astral let it out through his lips before allowing his eyes open, gold reflecting the city lights that laid before him like the surface of a multi-colored diamond. Much to his surprise, he wasn't the only one watching it all.

He glanced about himself after a moment, not liking this unnatural feeling burning into his spine, to the point he even turned around to make sure no one was there. The glimpse of a bare, dark-skinned shoulder was all he needed to let his mouth feel dry. "Boo~."

In seconds, Astral was darting to the side on the rooftop, not having a single problem with hovering over the shingles of the house, but neither did the other. Black Mist moved just as quick, easily capable of switching positions to nearly overlay himself on Astral's spot he dove and dived to get away from him.

"You won't get away from me this time, Astral~!" Indeed, he wouldn't. The last time, he was saved by Hope and Yuma's call, and now, neither card nor human was here to ask for help or beckon him. He was out of the key and out of a duel. Nevertheless, he still tried to wake up the boy, moving to dive down with a shout of the schoolboy's name.

"Yuma! Yuma, get-!" The male felt his entire body stop and he lost his words by the sudden force of inertia. Glancing down, he felt his throat close up in shock from Black Mist's speed and the obvious remaking of what happened after Hope had left. A strong tendril was wrapping along his ankle, rendering the male immobile immediately, who struggled and tried to kick it off. Here, he made a mistake as it merely happened to multiply and latch around his opposite calf.

Astral felt panic rise up in his chest, hating how it felt the same way when he had first met Kaito. Black Mist took his time with wrapping up the double, exactly like how a spider would with its next morsel. A smirk stretched across his lips as the other struggled more and more, fighting relentlessly and letting his energy waste away.

Hands pinned to his sides and the rest of his body immobile, Astral knew there was no way he was going to get through this. He couldn't even yell at Yuma, seeing as Black Mist wouldn't let him. "Awh~, is the little Astral disliking how weak he is?" Black Mist leaned forward slowly, right in the bound male's face with his hands on his agile hips. "That's not surprising, seeing how you weren't able to rescue Yuma unless he called on you~."

The other flinched, unable to help himself. To be honest, it was true that he hadn't been able to escape Black Mist's grasp on his own, and because of it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. It was such a heavy feeling on his heart, and because of this, he knew he was being tricked into diving into an unknown depths. Incapable of speaking, the male simply narrowed his honey-colored eyes, but was rewarded with the dark-sided double pinching his cheeks, as if he were a child.

"Astral~, don't get such a look on your face! You know you can't do much against me, not in this state. And isn't this also your fault for dragging poor Yuma into your own affairs? The ones you just so happened to not remember?" Slowly, those cold fingers moved around Astral's neck, turning to entwine with the locks of his spiked hair.

Astral tore his head away from the other's hands, trying to move his legs with a few vicious kicks. This surprised Black Mist, who managed to weasel his way out of Astral's kicking range, but was incapable of keeping full concentration on keeping Astral wound up. Feeling those tendrils loosen momentarily around his limbs and mouth, the transparent being shoved himself this way and that immediately.

A sense of triumph filled up his gut as he yanked himself away, feeling those tendrils unlatch themselves. "You damn-! ASTRAL!" The bitter bite of his own name made the male dive down right for Yuma's faster than ever before. He was _not _staying around for anything else after that, in fact, he dived down so hard into the Emperor's Key so fast that it forced Yuma to bolt upright, having a coughing fit as if he had just been punched in the chest.

"…Eh?" Yuma blinked, looking at the key that glistened on his chest. Clenching a hand over it, he made sure Astral felt safe before moving around in his hammock to where he grew comfortable, and had the key buried amongst the covers.

Astral felt a heavy relief filter through his body as he felt the dark aura of Black Mist become devoured by the sound of clicking gears and the astronomical hum of the golden ship not so far away. From there, until morning, did he stay, comfortable and capable of some form of sleep twenty minutes later.

**(This bit down here involves the Barian arc. I don't think it'd be much of a spoiler but, yeah, warning for those who haven't seen Zexal II. C: )**

The cavern had collapsed. Honestly, Astral thought he would have been alright, seeing as everything had gone through him at some point or another, but with the collection of Numbers, the entire place fell on him, and he felt it all. The duel with Black Mist had caused a great dent in the architecture, and he was certain that it had been the Barian card that caused such a crack in it.

Letting his eyes slowly open, feeling lashes flip off some dust to the side. For a moment, everything spun a good few seconds, and all he could see were shadows and a couple swirls of yellow. He flinched at the familiar sound that licked all the way down his back. "Awake yet, Astral~?"

As if all the dust had settled in his mouth, Astral felt all the moisture leave even the back of his throat as he realized who was holding him up. He would recognize that velvet voice anywhere, and the fact that he had that same grin on his face made him uneasy. "Black…Mist…" Blinking once, he looked around slowly, feeling a hand on the back of his neck as he did so to help support him.

They weren't in the rubble anymore, but they definitely weren't anywhere familiar. Yuma and the others weren't around anywhere, causing a stutter of panic to hit his chest. The Numbers noticed and gave a grin again, and Astral watched it stretch from ear to ear in the corner of his eye. "You took quite a tumble, Astral~. I saw you get hit first and I couldn't help but wonder if I should leave you there. But, look at me, I saved your neck!"

The amount of play in his words made the messenger flinch before he began shoving against his double's chest, wanting off of his lap. Astral was so out of shape that the only thing the male had to do was wrap an arm around his shoulders, a hand moving to grip the weakened wrists. "Ah-ah-ah~. You won't be going anywhere without me, at least, not in the shape you are now!"

Astral let an irritable huff through his lips before he let his arms become a bit more slack than before, but before he was picked up, he retaliated so fast against the other that he had tumbled right into the air. His head spun from pain but he conquered it and spoke through his teeth. "I'm not…going anywhere with you. Not when you're with the Barians." Honestly, Astral felt fear grip his chest at the thought of existing anywhere near the vengeful group.

His actions ended up grating the Number's nerves, to the point it was visible in tight shoulders and the gritting of his teeth. Astral took off, wanting away without a second thought. "Stay away from me!" He felt the words leave his chest with a burst of air, his mind the one to force it out to keep the other away. It only spurred him forward, causing Astral to dive and hide wherever he could, running away without a sense of direction in the basement rubble.

"You're not escaping from me this time, Astral!" Bitter words snapped at the messenger's heart, causing him to move faster than before. He wasn't sticking around to find out what would happen to him again, and the last time, he had barely gotten out with his skin still attached. Now, Black Mist was angry, and God knew for how long.

Astral took cover under a small arch of rubble and debris, feeling the sharp edges dig into any part of his skin without resistance. The ruins were more than painful, leaving him to squirm uncomfortably for a long moment. He wasn't used to being quite so solid, either. Dust was beginning to constantly try and weave its way through his lashes while his heels dug into ancient dirt and crumbled stone while his heart hammered in his ears. He could barely hear anything else aside from his own quiet breath and the faint hiss of falling dirt from above.

This small moment of solitude brought about a tiny piece of a question into Astral's mind. Did Black Mist technically save him? Astral had ended up in his arms, it seemed, but was it out of an attempted kidnapping or…? Black Mist was now with the Barians and the look of sadism on Vector's face made him flinch lightly, remembering that prideful gleam in his eyes. The Barians knew what they were doing. The question was if Astral was ready as well, and it terrified him.

"Astral~." Said male sucked in a breath as he kept his knees close to his bare chest, keen ears listening as he tossed his head from side to side instinctively. "Come out~! I won't hurt you if you oh-so-happily surrender~." A dominant purr escaped Black Mist's mouth, loud enough for Astral to hear it and gauge where the other was. He was close, but not quite. Astral wasn't taking the chance and simply let his arms wrap around his knees, keeping them tucked under his chin like a frightened child.

He listened. Black Mist no longer called for him, no longer made noises of amusement or irritation. The silence was killing Astral's curiosity, and he soon _had _to look. So he did. He poked his head up over the rubble of where he was, golden eyes scanning feverishly. Nothing.

Astral wasn't sure whether to panic or to feel relieved that the other was no where in sight, causing him to hoist himself up a bit higher until something tugged his ankle. Hard. He gasped and was unable to stop the vicious tug as he was forced down and pulled back into the shadows of the debris and rocks, feeling the small space becoming cramped quickly.

Beneath his fingers was a slender chest with faintly warm skin, the dark undertone causing him to nearly fly back, if his ankle wasn't stretched even closer to the wall behind Black Mist. "Let go of me!" He shoved with whatever strength came to him before an elbow was slammed into his throat. All air and words died off with the rest of his struggles, causing him to slump to the ground and cough relentlessly, grasping at his neck.

"I said I wouldn't hurt if you came out for me~. But you didn't, so now I have to punish you." Astral cringed, feeling fingers wrap in his white hair and push him up against the wall, feeling the shattered rocks behind him dig uncomfortable into his back. He writhed with a hiss of pain, closing his eyes shut as Black Mist got too close for comfort. He was directly in front of Astral, close enough that the cramped space was almost claustrophobic for the other, and his ankle was beginning to throb in a silent rhythm.

He was practically ready to be beaten into the floor and in the wall or feel hands wrap around his throat to be strangled. His shoulders were as tense as a cold rubber band and his toes curled up tightly, and didn't relax as Black Mist spoke, tone dangerously soft yet incredibly attractive. "Look at me, Astral. Open your eyes."

Obviously, Astral had no desire to let his eyes open, seeing as he didn't want to obey the enemy. Even his lips were visibly pinched to a pure white tone. "Astral." That tone turned to a warning, and the duelist slowly let his eyes open, honey orbs meeting with gold. Matching the frightened, doe-like eyes were ones that were firm and darker with intentions that were hard to truly see. "See~? Now you're getting the hang of listening to me."

That purr to his throat was back and he moved forward just a bit more before roughly tugging the male forward by both his leg and then his closest wrist. Astral gasped and instinctively wrapped his arms around the male's shoulders, feeling his slender frame as his legs nervously remained around his waist. Black Mist didn't seem to mind.

"Just do me one favor, Astral. Just one." Astral shuddered, feeling a harsh heat fill up any space on his cheeks as lips rested right on his throat, ever so softly messing with the skin. "Surrender to me, and only to me. Because I found you first. Before the Barians, before even Yuma really knew you." He also looked ready to say something else but soon fell silent, simply nibbling carefully along Astral's neck.

The duelist shuddered, tipping his head back before he questioned lightly, voice cracking. "…If I _do _surrender to you…does this mean you've somehow grown fond of seeing me, despite our arguments?" Astral didn't see it, but he could feel the sudden temperature change along his neck from Black Mist's heating face. This caused the astral duelist to chuckle and slowly let his fingers comb through his hair, letting Black Mist emit a purr of comfort.

"Alright then. I'll surrender my being to you." He glanced down at the other and felt the heat rise right back into his face as his nose brushed the other's, hearing the words, "Good boy," echo in his ears. His heartrate picked up tenfold without his consent as those soft lips melted over his own, causing a small noise to bubble up from his throat as he clung closer.

**(I mixed the two reviews together because one was a suggestion, one was what another wanted to see. If it doesn't fit what you wanted, just send me a message~!)**

At this point, Astral knew that he wasn't going to see Yuma for another long while until he was completely marked and exhausted by Black Mist. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be embarrassed about that or not.


End file.
